Accent interpretation, anaphora resolution and implicature derivation
We provide an analysis of accent meaning within the framework of
Discourse Representation Theory. The basic idea is that accent on
definites and indefinites induces an alternative presupposition which
requires binding or accommodation of a discourse referent. The
alternative presupposition comes on top of the usual
presupposition/referent introduction which is associated a
definite/indefinite. The proposal can be seen as a modification of
Rooth's alternative semantics. We show that given two plausible
conditions on the interaction between actual and alternative referents of
an accented definite or indefinite, Van Deemter's observations concerning
non-identity anaphora are explained. Furthermore, we show how the
proposal accounts for the effect of accenting on quantity implicatures.
Paul Piwek