Can Adjuncts Be Elided? A Bimodal Approach to Adjunct-Inclusive Interpretation

Yoshiki Fujiwara

Keywords: ellipsis, adjunct, V-stranding VP, head movement, syntax, pragmatics, Japanese

Abstract:

This study investigates the nature of adjunct-inclusive interpretation, a topic of significant debate in the context of V-stranding VP-ellipsis. I argue that adjunct-inclusive interpretations in Japanese arise from two sources: syntactic ellipsis, driven by V-stranding VP-ellipsis, and pragmatic inferences. Using diagnostic tests to distinguish pragmatic meaning from semantic meaning, I show that adjunct ellipsis arises from pragmatics, while ellipsis involving both adjuncts and objects is syntactic. The bimodal approach to adjunct-inclusive interpretation provides insights into the existence of V-stranding VP-ellipsis and, furthermore, string-vacuous head movement in Japanese.

Submission Number: 271