230014 Modelling Inherent Polysemy and Argument Coercion (S) (WiSe 2025/2026)

The course will deal with inherently polysemous nominals as such and, in particular, their use in definite descriptions as arguments of verbs. The expression /the book/ may serve as a classic example, where /the book/ can refer to a concrete physical object on a shelf, the contents of which, the referent of /the book/ now understood as an information object, can at the same time be memorized. Given a common discourse context, it is the second meaning aspect which is relevant if /the book/ occurs as the direct object in a so-called complement coercion construction together with a verb such as /finished/ in /Peter finished the book/. The coerced reading is one in which the direct object together with the verb is interpreted as an event Peter is the agent of, by default: 'Peter finished reading the book' or, possibly, 'Peter finished writing the book'.

Linguistic theory construction knows different approaches to the phenomenon just described and related phenomena. Even within the framework of modelling that can be assigned to lexical semantics, the differentiations are manifold. The course will focus on formalised frame-based and type composition logical approaches.

Teilnahmevoraussetzungen, notwendige Vorkenntnisse

A solid basic understanding of mathematical-logical approaches to modelling linguistic theory formation in the areas of syntax, semantics and also pragmatics is required. Knowledge of predicate-logical, respectively, type-logical and/or graph-theoretical modelling is particularly helpful.