Pairs of things and the meaning of the plural
Pairs of things and the meaning of the plural

Author(s): Marcin Wągiel
Subject(s): Theoretical Linguistics
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: semantics; plurality; plural; measure words; pluralia tantum
Summary/Abstract: In this paper, I discuss issues concerning the semantic interpretation of the plural. I review two alternative approaches to the problem, namely the inclusive and exclusive interpretation of the plural, and recall arguments against the inclusive approach. Furthermore, I propose that the unified semantics of pair developed here supports the exclusive account. The analysis accounts for the supposedly heterogeneous behavior of pair in phrases in which it combines with regular plural nouns and, on the other hand, with pluralia tantum. The puzzle concerns different cardinalities of denoted objects. I posit that the denotation of regular count nouns includes only sums of individuals, whereas pluralia tantum denote complete semi-lattices. In each case, pair selects a minimal element of the denotation of a noun, i.e., either a sum consisting of two individuals or an atom, and turns it into a group that can be further counted.

• Details
• Contents