Whamit!

Speaker: Paul Meisenbichler (MIT)
Title: Reference to individuals across worlds and constraints on de re phenomena (Part 2)
Time: Wednesday, November 26th, 1pm - 2pm
Location: 32-D461

Abstract: I will continue our discussion from November 12 about how certain ideas from counterpart theory (CT, see Lewis 1986) could contribute to our understanding of de re/de dicto phenomena. The central tenet of CT is the ontological assumption that individuals exist in only one world. In CT, reference across worlds must therefore be established in an indirect way (i.e. as a relation between an individual in one world and its counterparts in other worlds). In some of the recent literature, it has been suggested that blocking (direct) transworld reference could help us understand some well-known constraints on transparent/opaque readings (e.g. Percus (2013), Sauerland (2014), Cable (2018)). I want to explore these proposals and discuss whether adopting a counterpart ontology is a move worth pursuing.

Speaker: Heidi Durresi (MIT)
Title: Comparing different predictions of learnability on typology
Time: Monday, November 24th, 5pm - 6:30pm
Location: 32-D831

Abstract: Stanton (2016) is not only an argument for learnability shaping typology, but also that the Gradual Learning Algorithm (GLA; Boersma 1997, Magri 2012) is the vehicle for it. In this talk, I will discuss some preliminary ideas on comparing the typological predictions of alternative learning models on pathological stress patterns. Learning strategies discussed include Error-Selective Learning (Tessier 2007) and Expectation Driven Learning (Jarosz 2015).

The Southern New England Workshop in Semantics (SNEWS) took place at UMass Amherst this Saturday. The following MIT students presented:

• Seva Masliukov (1st year): Puzzles of actional composition in an atelicity-marking language
• Vlad Orlov (2nd year): Reciprocal alternation and bound de-re readings
• Alma Frischoff (2nd year): Type-label comparison and Type Economy Principle