1. On not-at-issueness in pictures
- Author
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Maria Esipova
- Subjects
Language. Linguistic theory. Comparative grammar ,P101-410 ,semantics, pragmatics ,Linguistics and Language ,at-issueness ,Anaphora (linguistics) ,pictorial semantics ,Ellipsis (linguistics) ,Resolution (logic) ,Structuring ,Language and Linguistics ,Linguistics ,composition ,non-restricting modifiers ,Meaning (existential) ,Psychology ,Composition (language) ,Parallels ,Natural language - Abstract
In this paper, I make novel empirical observations about not-at-issue content in pictures, focusing on prohibition signs, and discuss the implications of these observations for our understanding of how meaning works in linguistic and non-linguistic systems. In particular, I show that for certain pieces of pictorial content, the at-issue vs. not-at-issue distinction is highly pragmatic, in a way that strongly resembles the restricting vs. non-restricting distinction in natural language modifiers. I, furthermore, demonstrate that such pieces of pictorial content also behave like modifiers for the purposes of ellipsis/anaphora resolution and alternative generation under only. Thus, I argue that the at-issue vs. not-at-issue distinction in these cases should, in fact, be analyzed in terms of restricting vs. non-restricting modification, rather than presuppositions contributed sublexically. These findings point to substantial parallels between pictures and natural language with respect to both pragmatic reasoning and compositional structuring of meaning.
- Published
- 2021
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