Bias in high negation questions as a quantity implicature in commitment space semantics

Abstract

I analyze high negation as scoping over a commitment operator in a Commitment Space Semantics, building on [9]. I propose that polar questions chart two possible future courses through the commitment space, each rooted in a different possible commitment by the addressee. This semantics enables speaker bias in high negation questions to be derived as a special Quantity implicature, in competition with their positive polar question alternatives.