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(2018) Synthese 195 (2).
At least not false, at most possible
between truth and assertibility of superlative quantifiers
Maria Spychalska
pp. 571-602
Generalized Quantifier Theory defines superlative quantifiers at most n and at least n as truth-conditionally equivalent to comparative quantifiers fewer than n+1 and more than n (-)1. It has been demonstrated, however, that this standard theory cannot account for various linguistic differences between these two types of quantifiers. In this paper I discuss how the distinction between assertibility and truth-conditions can be applied to explain this phenomenon. I draw a parallel between the assertibility of disjunctions and superlative quantifiers, and argue that those assertibility conditions are essentially modal. I use epistemic logic to formalize the assertibility conditions and revisit some of the linguistic puzzles related to superlative quantification.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/s11229-014-0615-y
Full citation:
Spychalska, M. (2018). At least not false, at most possible: between truth and assertibility of superlative quantifiers. Synthese 195 (2), pp. 571-602.