Speaker: Weichao Yan (Beijing Foreign Studies University)
Title: When Do Mandarin Conditionals Receive Counterfactual Readings? A Domain-Widening Perspective
Time: Wednesday, April 1st, 1pm – 2pm
Location: 32-D461
Title: When Do Mandarin Conditionals Receive Counterfactual Readings? A Domain-Widening Perspective
Time: Wednesday, April 1st, 1pm – 2pm
Location: 32-D461
Abstract: In the spirit of von Fintel and Iatridou’s (2023) discussion of X-marking, this talk examines counterfactual interpretations in Mandarin conditionals from a domain-widening perspective. In Mandarin Chinese, ordinary conditionals can support both open and counterfactual readings under different discourse conditions, whereas certain lexicalized constructions are restricted to counterfactual interpretations. These patterns suggest that the crucial factor for Mandarin conditionals is not pastness alone, but whether the antecedent is epistemically open or settled in the discourse. On this view, the antecedent is first interpreted by ordinary update from the live context, and only when direct update is blocked does interpretation shift to a minimally revised context set.