Introduction : Alternatives in semantics and pragmatics

Anamaria Falaus (1)

1 LLING - Laboratoire de Linguistique de Nantes

This chapter offers a state of the art on alternatives in current linguistic theory and provides an accessible but detailed overview of the use of alternatives in semantics and pragmatics. In addition to some historical background, it introduces the core theories of computation of alternatives by discussing the use of alternatives in three empirical domains: (i) questions, (ii) focus, and (iii) implicatures. The chapter lays out some of the main conceptual, theoretical and empirical issues raised by the increasing range of applications of alternative-based semantics. It situates each chapter in the volume with respect to the above-mentioned frameworks and questions, indicating how the paper contributes to current debates on alternatives.

Mots clés: alternative semantics; pragmatics; implicatures; focus; questions

Domaines: Linguistique

Anamaria Falaus. Introduction : Alternatives in semantics and pragmatics. Alternatives in Semantics, Palgrave Macmillan, pp.1-35, 2013, Palgrave Studies in Pragmatics, Language and Cognition, 9780230314344. ⟨hal-01158558⟩