SEMANTICS
GROUP
Spring 2020
Due to Covid 19, the Semantics Groups went ONLINE
in Spring 2020
The Semantics Group is a weekly series of informal
tutorials/lectures that aims at providing participants with the requisite
mathematical tools and techniques to obtain a working knowledge of formal
semantics. Anyone interested in natural language semantics, the relation
between logic and language, λ-calculus, the syntax-semantics interface,
analytical philosophy, syntactic theory or formal approaches to linguistics
more generally is actively encouraged to join us. Classes are free and require
only minimal background in linguistics (or some other formal training).
Time & Place: Meetings take place every Thursday 4:00m – 6:00pm, Student’s
Union (Λέσχη), Ippokratous 15, 4th floor.
Everybody is most welcome, simply drop by! For any questions
contact Winfried
Lechner (lechner@gs.uoa.gr).
Next meeting: ??.??.202?
What to expect.
We will begin with a brief review of some formal background (set theory,
relations, predicate logic), proceeding from there to λ-calculus and simple applications and exercises
in the framework of transparent logical forms (von Stechow-Heim-Kratzer). The
main objective is for participants to obtain a working knowledge of the basic
technical machinery necessary to conduct model theoretic compositional
analysis, discuss current research and address some foundational issues such as
different notions of the relation between syntax and semantics. Which specific
topics we cover entirely depends on the participants, their interests and
proclivities. So it is important that you let me know if there are any specific
areas (for non-exhaustive list see below) that you would like to see discussed.
Topics
we have been covering since the first installment of the group in Spring 2014 include:
·
Predicate Calculus
·
Model theory
·
Lambda calculus
·
Type theory
·
Compositional translation
·
Quantification and Generalized
Quantifier theory
·
Syntactic and semantic binding
·
Degree semantics
·
Implicatures, focus particles and
aspectural adverbs
·
Vector Space Semantics
·
Question semantics
·
Syntactic islands
·
Plurality
·
Ellipsis parallelism and Focus
Semantics
Handouts
and reading material, including surveys and handbook articles, can be found at
this Dropbox
folder. (If you have problems accessing the folder, send me a brief note.)
Contact: Winfried
Lechner