Introduction to Formal Semantics

Instructor(s): Graham Katz

Description:
What is meaning? How is the meaning of a linguistic expression computed? In this introductory course we will discuss these questions and the answers that semanticists give to them, while providing an introduction to the formal techniques used in by modern semanticists in their research. We will focus on the interface between syntax and semantics. Topics to be addressed include entailment, implicature, presupposition, compositionality, scope, binding, and intensionality. There will be (software- and paper-based) problem sets as well as lecture and discussion.

Prerequisites:
Students should have some background in syntax and should be familiar with simple set theoretic concepts.

Course ID:
LING7800-033

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Days/Times:
Tue & Fri 1:30-3:15

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Classroom: CLARE 207

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Areas of Linguistics:
Semantics, Pragmatics and Discourse