A Note on Possibility Modals and NPI Licensing

作者:Hsieh I Ta Chris*
来源:Journal of Semantics, 2014, 31(3): 433-441.
DOI:10.1093/jos/fft009

摘要

In this remark, I first show that a Lewis-Kratzer-von Fintel style semantics of conditionals and modals (Lewis 1973; Kratzer 1991a, b; von Fintel 1994; a.o.) together with the downward-entailing-based (DE-based) approach to the licensing of negative polarity items (NPIs) incorrectly predicts that NPIs are ungrammatical in the if-clause of a conditional with a possibility modal in the main clause (i.e., a conditional of the form if p, lozenge q; henceforth, CPM; e. g., If John has ever been to Paris, he might become a good chef). I then list three possible solutions to this problem to be explored in future work.

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