Anaphoric Restriction of Alternative Sets: On the Role of Bridging Antecedents

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of how to restrict the set of alternatives evoked by focus to obtain a subset relevant for quantification by focus-sensitive adverbs. The paper focusses on definite noun phrases. It is argued that most definite NPs, if they include a focus, have to make use of a bridging antecedent to achieve uniqueness. The bridging antecedent is shown to provide the relevant set of alternatives, which may in addition be constrained by the backgrounded part of the descriptive content. Moreover, NPs of the form "the OTHER [p]" are shown to relate to the (proper) alternatives induced by a preceding focus. The analysis is spelled out on the basis of DRT.