CFP
XPRAG-ADJ19: The semantics and pragmatics of gradable adjectives: Integrating perspectives from linguistic theory, psycholinguistics and modeling University of Cologne Cologne, Germany, May 23-24, 2019 |
Conference website | http://idsl1.phil-fak.uni-koeln.de/39789.html |
Submission link | https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=xpragadj19 |
Abstract registration deadline | February 28, 2019 |
Submission deadline | February 28, 2019 |
Topics: vagueness
Workshop on "The semantics and pragmatics of gradable adjectives: Integrating perspectives from linguistic theory, psycholinguistics and modeling"
Location: University of Cologne
Dates: 23rd - 24th May 2019
Deadline for submission: 28th February 2019
Conference website: http://idsl1.phil-fak.uni-koeln.de/39789.html
EasyChair submission: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=xpragadj19
Organizing committee
Nicole Gotzner
Stephanie Solt
Anton Benz
Barbara Tomaszewicz
Petra Schumacher
Local organizers
Barbara Tomaszewicz
Petra SchumacherInvited speakers
Michael Franke
Louise McNally
Kristen Syrett
Steven Verheyen
Scope and goals of the workshop
Gradable adjectives give rise to a variety of fascinating semantic and pragmatic effects and this research area is a showcase for the integration of formal work with psycholinguistic experimentation (for an overview see for example Castroviejo, McNally & Sassoon, 2018). The study of adjectival semantics includes aspects of vagueness, scale structure, degree semantics, comparison classes, dimensionality and evaluativity, among others. Distinctions between different types of adjectives and degree modification have been found to be acquired early in language development (Syrett, 2006; Barner & Snedeker, 2008; Tribushinina & Gillis, 2012). Our understanding of adjectival semantics has also been advanced by psycholinguistic experiments with adults, for example addressing the questions how relative and absolute adjectives are processed (Rips & Turnbull, 1980; Frazier, Stolterfoht & Clifton, 2008; Aparicio, Xiang & Kennedy, 2018), how adults determine the standard of comparison for different adjectives classes (Toledo & Sassoon, 2011; Solt & Gotzner, 2012; McNabb, 2012; Solt, 2016; Liao & Meskin, 2017; Tomaszewicz & Schumacher, 2018) and how comparatives are processed (Tucker, Tomaszewiecz & Wellwood, 2018).
More recently, experimental research has investigated a variety of pragmatic aspects such as imprecision (Leffel, Xiang & Kennedy, 2016), scalar implicatures (van Tiel et al., 2016; Gotzner, Solt & Benz, 2018; Leffel, Cremers, Gotzner & Romoli, forthcoming) and manner implicatures like negative strengthening (Ruytenbeek, Verheyen & Spector, 2017; Gotzner, Solt & Benz, 2018; Tessler & Franke, 2018). The area of vagueness has also been particularly fruitful for computational modeling that integrates insights of semantic and pragmatic theories (Lassiter & Goodman 2013, 2015, 2017; Lassiter, 2015; Qing & Franke, 2014; Tessler & Franke, 2018).
Call for abstracts
At our workshop, we especially welcome contributions that integrate perspectives from linguistic theory with psycholinguistics and/or modeling. We invite contributions that build on various sources of data (formal work, experiments with children or adults, corpora, modeling). Topics of special interest to the workshop include the following:
- Degree semantics and gradability
- Measurement theory and scale structure
- Comparison classes
- Vagueness
- Granularity and Imprecision
- Evaluativity
- Different kinds of implicature
- Polarity
- Antonyms
- Color adjectives
- Predicates of personal taste
Abstracts must not exceed two pages 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=xpragadj19 by 28th February 2019.
For any questions, please contact gotzner@leibniz-zas.de or
barbara.tomaszewicz@gmail.com.