Descriptions in Context (Routledge Library Editions: Semantics and Semiology)

First published in 1997, this book focuses on the semantics of definite and indefinite descriptions -- taking the presuppositional theory of definiteness and indefiniteness proposed by Heim as a starting point. It seeks to show that there exists a special type of indefinites that have an interpretation commonly associated with definites. It further argues that the felicity conditions associated with indefinite NP's can vary and develops a more fine-grained theory of novelty within the framework of File Change Semantics. More generally, this work can be seen as providing an empirical argument in favour of a dynamic theory of meaning and against the more traditional truth-conditional theory.

• | Author: Cleo A. Condoravdi
• | Publisher: Routledge
• | Publication Date: Feb 27, 2018
• | Number of Pages: 203 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback
• | ISBN-10: 1138697419
• | ISBN-13: 9781138697416