The Dynamics of Tree Growth and Quantifier Construal

Abstract

This paper demonstrates how quantifier-construal can be globally defined without sacrificing an incremental left-right process of projecting interpretation. Scope statements, collected during the course of the left-right parsing process and subject to lexically sepcified restrictions, are separated from the projection of content for quantifying expressions. Amonst other scope restictions, construal of indefinites is shown to resemble pronominal anaphora, with indefinites defined as taking narrow scope with respect to some element determined by a free pragamatic choice.