CfP “Diversity in pragmatic inferences: experimental data, computational models, and the Semantics/Pragmatics Interface”

Workshop („Kurz-AG“) at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the DGfS (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sprachwissenschaft)

Location: Hamburg, Germany

Dates: March 4-6, 2020

Deadline for submission: 15^th August 2019

EasyChair submission: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=diverseprag20

Website: https://www.zfs.uni-hamburg.de/dgfs2020/dgfs2020.html

Organizers: Nicole Gotzner, Bob van Tiel, Anton Benz and Napoleon Katsos

Invited speaker: Larry Horn (Yale University)

Aims and background

The discussion on the distinction between Semantics and Pragmatics has a long tradition. Recent developments such as the experimental turn in Pragmatics and the implementation of computational models shed new light on the Semantics/Pragmatics Interface. It is time to take stock and explore theoretical implications of these new developments and empirical findings.

Experimental research has shown substantial variability within the class of scalar inferences (Doran et al., 2009; van Tiel et al., 2016) and this variability has been found to interact with the degree semantics of different scales (Gotzner et al., 2018; Leffel et al., 2019). In addition, there is a broad class of other types of implicature such as R/I and Manner implicatures, which interact with one another (Horn, 1972; 1989; 2017).

The goal of this workshop is to provide a forum for theoretical and experimental research on scalar diversity and the relevance of non-scalar implicatures to our understanding of the Semantics/Pragmatics Interface. A central aim is to gather researchers working in different theoretical frameworks.

Call for abstracts

Our workshop invites submissions that discuss the Semantics/Pragmatics Interface in light of variability in pragmatic inferences (across different scales, types of implicature, and speaker- or population-specific interpretation strategies, see for example Franke & Degen, 2016). We welcome theoretical contributions, theoretically-relevant experimental contributions and modelling proposals.

Topics of special interest include the following:

• Scalar diversity (scalar implicature with different triggers)
• Different types of embedding environments
• Interplay between Q and R/I implicatures
• Manner implicatures
• Presuppositional implicatures
• Conventional implicatures
• (Modified) numerals

Abstracts must not exceed one page in PDF format, including examples and references, with 1 inch margins on all sides and 12 point font size. Please make your submission via https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=diverseprag20 by 15^th August 2019.

For any questions, please contact gotzner@leibniz-zas.de or tiel@leibniz-zas.de.