Conditionals
Name
fintel-2011-hsk-conditionals.pdf
Size
274.36 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
ccbae9170e4302e7c471f3da9bfb5382
Author(s)
von Fintel, Kai
Date Issued
2011
Journal
Semantics: An international handbook of meaning, vol. 2
Publisher
De Gruyter Mouton
Citation
Fintel, Kai von. “Conditionals.” Handbücher Zur Sprach- Und Kommunikationswissenschaft / Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science (January 14, 2011).
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
This article introduces the classic accounts of the meaning of conditionals (material implication, strict implication, variably strict conditional) and discusses the difference between indicative and subjunctive/counterfactual conditionals. Then, the restrictor analysis of Lewis/Kratzer/Heim is introduced as a theory of how conditional meanings come about compositionally: if has no meaning other than serving to mark the restriction to an operator elsewhere in the conditional construction. Some recent alternatives to the restrictor analysis are sketched. Lastly, the interactions of conditionals (i) with modality and (ii) with tense and aspect are discussed. Throughout the advanced research literature is referenced while the discussion stays largely non-technical.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110255072.1515
