Back to Search Start Over

Names are not (always) predicates.

Authors :
Delgado, Laura
Source :
Mind & Language. Jun2024, Vol. 39 Issue 3, p330-347. 18p.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

A main selling point of predicativism is that, in addition to accounting for predicative uses of proper names, it can successfully account for their referential uses while treating them as predicates, thus providing a uniform semantics for proper names. The strategy is to postulate an unpronounced determiner that is realised with names when they appear to function as singular terms, making them effectively a concealed determiner phrase. I argue against the thesis that names are really predicates in referential uses. I discuss four different environments where names do not behave like the determiner phrases that are thought to embed them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
02681064
Volume :
39
Issue :
3
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Mind & Language
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
177626742
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1111/mila.12484