3520593
doi
10.5281/zenodo.3520593
oai:zenodo.org:3520593
user-africarxiv
user-langscipress
A closer look at the Akan determiner bi: An epistemic indefinite analysis
Augustina Pokua Owusu
Rutgers University
doi:10.5281/zenodo.3520612
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
<p>This study aims to shed light on the epistemic indefinite interpretation (EI) of the<br>
Akan (Asante Twi) determiner bi which hitherto had not been discussed in the<br>
Akan literature. In previous studies, Amfo (2010) and Arkoh (2011) review its ref-<br>
erential or specific indefinite interpretation. The current study shows that in addi-<br>
tion to the above interpretation when bi is used, the speaker signals that she does<br>
not have access to all the information about who or what satisfies the existential<br>
claim they are making. I employ Aloni (2001) and Aloni & Port’s (2015) theory of<br>
conceptual covers and methods of identification to determine “knowledge” of a<br>
referent in a particular context. Conceptual covers are sets of individual concepts<br>
which exclusively and exhaustively covers the domain of individuals (Aloni 2001).<br>
I show that the epistemic indefinite analysis and the specificity or referential anal-<br>
ysis are compatible. When bi is used, the speaker asserts she can name a notewor-<br>
thy or identifying property about the referent of the NP, which is the referential or<br>
specificity interpretation. Additionally, she presupposes that she is ignorant about<br>
further characterizing information about the referent, the epistemic indefinite in-<br>
terpretation.</p>
Language Science Press
2019-10-28
info:eu-repo/semantics/bookPart
3520592
user-africarxiv
user-langscipress
1607429008.489362
200672
md5:5bba21f35bd11a626e35dcc3e277d6d0
https://zenodo.org/records/3520593/files/14.pdf
public
10.5281/zenodo.3520612
Has part
doi
10.5281/zenodo.3520592
isVersionOf
doi
African linguistics across the disciplines
978-3-96110-212-9
257–280
Berlin
2019-10-28