@inproceedings{33712a3a11594710b66e33b57e03decc,
title = "An Overt Operator Associating with Covert Focus: An Even-Like Semantics for Mandarin G{\`e}ng",
abstract = "This work proposes a novel, unified even-like semantics for Mandarin g{\`e}ng. G{\`e}ng, literally even more, is mostly studied regarding its combination with gradable adjectives, where it triggers a comparison with an evaluative inference in the sense of [39]. To capture this effect, g{\`e}ng is argued by [32] a.o. to be a comparative marker with an evaluative presupposition. Intriguingly, [32] observes in passing that g{\`e}ng can also combine with non-gradable predicates, which remains understudied. We examine [32]{\textquoteright}s observation in detail and propose that g{\`e}ng is an even-like particle {\`a} la [15]{\textquoteright}s semantics for English even. This straightforwardly captures g{\`e}ng{\textquoteright}s combination with non-gradable predicates. Then, by adopting two independently motivated assumptions, i.e. (a) the existence of a covert comparative marker comp in Mandarin and (b) association with covert focus, our proposal is naturally extended to g{\`e}ng{\textquoteright}s combination with gradable adjectives. At last, g{\`e}ng and sh{\`e}nzh{\`i}, Mandarin unmarked even, are compared from a parametric variation perspective.",
keywords = "Mandarin g{\`e}ng, comparatives, covert focus, evaluative presupposition, even-like particles, gradability, parametric variation, scalarity, sh{\`e}nzh{\`i}",
author = "Zhuang Chen and Yael Greenberg",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.; 20th International Conference on Logic and Engineering of Natural Language Semantics, LENLS 2023 ; Conference date: 18-11-2023 Through 20-11-2023",
year = "2024",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60878-0_8",
language = "الإنجليزيّة",
isbn = "9783031608773",
series = "Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)",
publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH",
pages = "134--154",
editor = "Daisuke Bekki and Koji Mineshima and Elin McCready",
booktitle = "Logic and Engineering of Natural Language Semantics - 20th International Conference, LENLS20, Revised Selected Papers",
address = "ألمانيا",
}