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Maximize Presupposition! and local contexts

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Abstract

Maximize Presupposition! is an economy condition that adjudicates between contextually equivalent competing structures. Building on data discovered by O. Percus, I will argue that the constraint is checked in the local contexts of embedded constituents. I will argue that this architecture leads to a general solution to the problem of antipresupposition projection, and also allows I. Heim’s ‘Novelty/Familiarity Condition’ to be eliminated as a constraint on operations of context change.

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Singh, R. Maximize Presupposition! and local contexts. Nat Lang Semantics 19, 149–168 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11050-010-9066-2

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