On the comparative and absolute readings of superlatives

Authors
Farkas, DF Kiss, KE
Citation
Df. Farkas et Ke. Kiss, On the comparative and absolute readings of superlatives, NATUR LANG, 18(3), 2000, pp. 417-455
Citations number
29
Categorie Soggetti
Language & Linguistics
Journal title
NATURAL LANGUAGE & LINGUISTIC THEORY
ISSN journal
0167806X → ACNP
Volume
18
Issue
3
Year of publication
2000
Pages
417 - 455
Database
ISI
SICI code
0167-806X(200008)18:3<417:OTCAAR>2.0.ZU;2-W
Abstract
This paper deals with an ambiguity of superlative noun phrases first notice d in Szabolcsi (1986) and discussed in Heim (1985), but which has not been studied in the subsequent literature. After discussing in detail the specia l properties of the comparative reading, we develop a semantics for both re adings and show how it accounts for these properties.