Advanced Topics in Formal Semantics Based on Modern Type Theories

About

Formal semantics based on modern type theories (MTT-semantics) provides us with not only a viable alternative to Montague’s semantics, but potentially an attractive full-blown semantic tool with advantages in many respects. However, the salient features of MTT-semantics may only be discussed properly when more advanced semantic topics are considered. For example, people may ask: how does it fare with semantic issues such as events and anaphoric reference, and could it offer a good treatment of intriguing linguistic features such as copredication? In the past, some of these advanced issues have only been dealt with briefly [1], but more recently they have been studied more in depth in the proposer’s monograph [2]. In this course, after an overview introduction, I shall consider the following topics in MTT-semantics: event semantics, anaphoric references, copredication and dependent categorial grammars. I’ll also compare the treatments with those studied in the Montagovian approach and discuss their respective merits.
[1] S. Chatzikyriakidis and Z. Luo. Formal Semantics in Modern Type Theories. Wiley/ISTE, 2020.
[2] Z. Luo. Modern Type Theories: Their Development and Applications. Tsinghua University Press, 2022. In press.

Course leader

Zhaohui Luo

Target group

Students

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