Appositives in Modal Contexs

Authors

  • Kjell Johann Sæbø

Abstract

It has recently been argued (by Harris and Potts 2009: 523–552) that so-called non-speaker oriented readings of appositives are a matter of pragmatic perspective shift and thus do not show that appositives contribute to descriptive content. In contrast, I argue that appositives are indeed building blocks of propositions and that non-speaker oriented readings are de dicto readings of classical presuppositions (definedness conditions on concepts) in modal contexts. Downward entailing modal contexts, like surprise contexts, provide the key to this conclusion: here, appositives provide a useful means to ensure that an individual retains its relevant properties across the modal space.

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How to Cite

Sæbø, K. J. (2019). Appositives in Modal Contexs. Proceedings of Sinn Und Bedeutung, 15, 79–100. Retrieved from https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/sub/index.php/sub/article/view/381