Focus Semantics: Alternatives and Unalternatives

Daniel Büring, Vienna

daniel.buring@univie.ac.at
general: http://homepage.univie.ac.at/daniel.buring
for this course: http://homepage.univie.ac.at/daniel.buring/locker/lot2016.html

Updated 2/18/2016. Site under heavy construction. Much to be added later.

General

Level

introductory, as far as focus and intonation is concerned
intermediate, as far as semantics is concerned; requires basic knowlegde of semantics (quantificational logic, lambda-calculus, set theory) and a very basic syntax

Course description

The semantics and pragmatics of focus, based on alternative semantics (Rooth 1992). How is focus realized, represented, how are focus alternatives derived from it, and what pragmatic conditions are imposed on them?

Day-to-day program

Readings