Specimens: "most of" generic NPs in a contextually flexible type theory

TL;DR

This paper introduces a type-theoretic framework for interpreting generic noun phrases like 'most of', modeling their meanings as logical formulas that incorporate context and stereotypes, diverging from traditional single-universe approaches.

Contribution

It proposes a novel type-theoretic approach to semantics for generic NPs, integrating ideas from Hilbert epsilon calculus and medieval philosophy, and addressing contextual variability.

Findings

Model successfully interprets classical examples involving classes and context.

Type-theoretic analysis distinguishes semantic meaning from pragmatic typing.

Supports the view that terms encode pure semantics while typing is pragmatic.

Abstract

This paper proposes to compute the meanings associated to sentences with generic NPs corresponding to the most of generalized quantifier. We call these generics specimens and they resemble stereotypes or prototypes in lexical semantics. The meanings are viewed as logical formulae that can be thereafter interpreted in your favorite models. We rather depart from the dominant Fregean single untyped universe and go for type theory with hints from Hilbert epsilon calculus and from medieval philosophy. Our type theoretic analysis bears some resemblance with on going work in lexical semantics. Our model also applies to classical examples involving a class (or a generic element of this class) which is provided by the context. An outcome of this study is that, in the minimalism-contextualism debate, if one adopts a type theoretical view, terms encode the purely semantic meaning component while their typing is pragmatically determined.