Introduction to Semantics

Spring 2014

Instructor: Adriana Todea

atodea@yahoo.com
Office hours: Thursday 2-3 p.m.
Alpha Centre room

Home assignment:
Identify the sense and reference of the following linguistic expressions:
a) the president of the United States
b) Barack Obama
c) Barack Obama is the president of the United States.
d) Miss America
e) James Bond
f) Miss America believed James Bond.
g) the children
h) are playing
i) The children are playing.

Notation: [[p]] means value/ extension/ reference of p

Identify the sense and reference of the following linguistic expressions:
a) the president of the United States
[[the president of US]] = an entity, member of {x/President(x,u)}
=one of {Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George
W. H. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter,J.F. Kennedy,
Abraham Lincoln,, George Washington}

In 1992, the president of US...

In 1864, the president of US...
In 1985, the president of US...
The president of US...

[[the president of US]]t4,w0 = Bill Clinton

[[the president of US]]t3,w0 =Abraham Lincoln
[[the president of US]] t2,w0 = Ronald Reagan
[[the president of US]]t1,w0= Barack Obama

If the president of the United States were Jane,...

[[the president of US]]t1,w1=Jane

Time coordinates
t1= time of utterance
t2= 1985
t3= 1864
t4= 1992
t1> t4> t2>t3
The president of US has left. (present perfect)
[[x: President(x,u)]]t1

t2< t1, t1 = time of utterance

[[x: President(x,u) Leave(x)]] t2

The president of US left. (simple past)
[[x: President(x,u)]]t2
[[x: President(x,u) Leave(x)]] t2

t2< t1, t1 = time of utterance

World coordinates
Mood: indicative vs. conditional/ subjunctive
The indicative mood is used to signal that the message should be
interpreted as factual.
I studied for the exam, therefore I passed.
The subjunctive/ conditional mood is used to signal that the
message should be interpreted as non-factual.
If I studied for the exam, I would pass. (but I dont study)
If I had studied for the exam, I would have passed. (but I didnt study)
The factual or non-factual framing of utterances is encoded in
semantics in the concept of possible worlds.

World coordinates
Possible worlds are not the sum of concrete objects or situations,
but abstract projections of the mind, generated in the use of
language and interpreting expressions.
The abstract situational (describes states of affairs) projection that
reflects what we believe to be factual (accurate description of the
real world) is called actual world (w0).
The abstract situational (describes states of affairs) projection that
reflects what we believe to be non-factual (it is not a description
of the real world) is called possible world (w1/2/102...).
Indicative mood signals the w0 world coordinate
Conditional/ subjunctive mood signals the w1/2/ world coordinate

World coordinates

t2< t1, t1 = time of utterance

[[I studied for the exam, therefore I passed.]] t2 ,w0

[[If I studied for the exam, I would pass.]]

t1,w1

[[If I had studied for the exam, I would have passed.]]t2 ,w1

Rigid and non-rigid designators

Rigid designators are referring expressions with a continuous
manifestation across world and time coordinates. (always designate
the same entity)
Proper names
Barack Obama has the same reference irrespective or world and
time coordinates.
Barack Obama was born in 1892.
If Barack Obama were a woman,
If Barack Obama were a Martian,
If Barack Obama were hispanic,...
Fictional proper names have incomplete descriptions and lack
reference in at least one possible world, which is the actual world.
James Bond has a discontinuous manifestation across world
coordinates, therefore it is a non-rigid designator.

Rigid and non-rigid designators

Non-rigid designators are referring expressions with a discontinuous
manifestation across world and time coordinates. (may designate
different entities)
the president of US,

Miss America,

the girl,

my mother,...

Names of substances, or natural phenomena are rigid designators.

Water, to all intents and purposes, refers to a substance with the
same relevant properties, irrespective of world and time
coordinates.
Abraham Lincoln drank water before public speeches.
I drank only water at Johns party.

Which of the underlined items are rigid, and, respectively, nonrigid designators? Explain why.
1. Camelot knights searched for the Holy Grail.
2. The moon is the natural satellite of the Earth.
3. The Earth is the third rock from the Sun.
4. My mother is happy.
5. Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian opera singer.
6. This ring is made of gold.
7. Sherlock Holms is a better detective than Tom Sawyer.
8. James Bond is in love with Sophia Loren.

Further practice:
Which of the underlined items are rigid, and, respectively, nonrigid designators? Explain why.
1. The sun sets in the west.
2. Water is H2O.
3. The girl George met yesterday is Susan.
4. The morning star is the evening star.
5. My uncle is pregnant again.
6. Snow is white.
7. Caesar was stabbed by Brutus.