Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Locatives as events

A place PP like 'in Paris' denotes a kind of thing/event - the set of: (a) things which are located in Paris; and (b) events which take place in Paris. In other words, a place function like IN converts a thing, PARIS, into an event, IN(PARIS). The denotation of 'church in Paris' is the intersection of the denotata of 'church' and 'in Paris'. The denotation of 'Kim slept in Paris' is the intersection of the denotata of 'Kim slept' and 'in Paris'.

1. 'Kim slept' - λe.sleep(e,Kim)

2. 'in Paris' - λPλf.Pf & at(f,in(Paris))

3. 'Kim slept in Paris' - λf.sleep(f,Kim) & at(f,in(Paris))

The same goes for path PPs like 'into Paris' - this denotes the set of motion events which occur along a trajectory which originates outwith and terminates within Paris:

1. 'Kim is driving' - λe.drive(e,Kim)

2. 'into Paris' - λPλf.Pf & to(f,in(Paris))

3. 'Kim is driving into Paris' - λf.drive(f,Kim) & to(f,in(Paris))

But I'm not sure how to handle an argument PP, as in 'Kim put the book into the box'. What about: λe.put(e,Kim,book) & to(e,in(box)), where put(e,x,y) entails go(e,y).

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