This course will provide an introduction to semantics that is innovative in two respects. First, dialogue is taken as the primary domain of application – the consequences of this and differences from standard assumptions in mainstream semantics will be spelled out; corpus studies of fundamental dialogical phenomena will inform much of the discussion. Second, formal analysis is provided that links syntax, deep lexical semantics, semantic ontology, and interaction patterns.
In order to do this we develop a theory of types oriented towards linguistic phenomena and interaction, TTR (Type Theory with Records), a model theoretic outgrowth of Martin-Löf Type Theory. TTR offers solutions to a variety of problems that beset existing theories such as possible worlds-based semantics and typed feature structure-based unification grammars. These include issues such as the following:
- semantic ontology: there are well known problems that beset possible worlds related to their lack of fine-grain. Often these have been ignored with the hope that this can be confined to attitudinal contexts. We point to the problems posed by negation which cannot be brushed off so easily and develop an account in TTR.
- syntax-semantics interface: typed feature structure-based unification grammars face intrinsic problems in dealing with semantics (e.g. lack of proper binding, functions). Some of these problems find solutions within λ-calculus based approaches. However, we will point to fundamental dialogical phenomena, relating to clarification interaction, which require rethinking the denotation of generalized quantifiers.
- grammar and context: for some purposes meaning in dialogue requires reference to a highly incremental context (e.g. non sentential utterances, dysfluencies) for others (e.g. the felicity of dialogue segment initiating moves) a very global, genre-referring context is needed. We show how to develop a uniform view of context that can handle both perspectives.
- language as a system in flux: grammar, including meaning, is not something that is fixed once and for all. Our language is in a constant state of change as we are influenced by interaction with others. We attempt to capture this by focussing our attention on formulating resources which are available to an agent and which allow the construction of specific grammars