Licensing by Modification: Existential Readings of Bare Plurals in Farsi

Authors

  • Zahra Mirrazi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18148/sub/2021.v25i0.960

Abstract

Dayal (2004b) predicts a language in which bare plurals have more restricted existential readings than bare singulars, ‘Hindi-in-reverse’, to be impossible. In this paper, I provide novel data, showing that Farsi is, in fact, such a language. Nonetheless, I argue that Dayal’s account can be extended to Farsi. I propose that the unexpected pattern arises due tothe special property of Farsi plural marking as a MAX operator. Existential readings of Farsi bare plurals only become available when they are modified. I follow Dayal’s (1995) proposal, which takes modifiers to introduce a situation variable. I argue that this proposal, together with the assumption that Farsi bare plurals lack a situation variable, similar to Dayal’s suggestion for Italian bare plurals, can explain how the presence of modifiers makes the otherwise unavailable existential reading of Farsi bare plurals available.

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Published

2021-09-17

How to Cite

Mirrazi, Z. (2021). Licensing by Modification: Existential Readings of Bare Plurals in Farsi. Proceedings of Sinn Und Bedeutung, 25, 666–683. https://doi.org/10.18148/sub/2021.v25i0.960