Journal | Annali di Ca’ Foscari. Serie occidentale
Journal issue | 58 | 2024
Research Article | Semantics and Micro-Parametric Variation: The Simple Future in Ibero-Romance
Semantics and Micro-Parametric Variation: The Simple Future in Ibero-Romance
Abstract
Cross-linguistic variation in future-tense sentences has been extensively documented in the literature. Despite this diversity, there is a prevailing sense that a common core meaning exists and that the various interpretations in each language are connected. To account for both the similarities and the differences, Escandell-Vidal proposes that the meaning encoded by verbal tenses can be analysed into two components: i) core meaning; and ii) semantic micro-parameters (additional fine-grained constraints on specific categories of the core meaning that account for subtle differences between related languages or dialects). The purpose of this paper is twofold. On the descriptive side, it aims to refine the approach in terms of microparametric distinctions by suggesting some modifications. On the theoretical side, it seeks to offer a simpler and more powerful tool to account for interlinguistic variation by restricting its range to a limited set of predictable combinations.
Submitted: June 19, 2024 | Accepted: July 30, 2024 | Published Sept. 30, 2024 | Language: en
Keywords Evidential interpretations • Future tense • Temporal interpretations • Semantic micro-parameters • Modal interpretations • Procedural meaning
Copyright © 2024 Victoria Escandell-Vidal. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
