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    If indefinites lack the denotation type of genuine quanti... — Carmelics
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    Supports→The multiple readings of 'Every man who read a book by Chomsky is happy' should not be treated as a scopal ambiguity akin to other quantifier scope ambiguities.

    If indefinites lack the denotation type of genuine quantifiers, assimilating their readings to scopal ambiguity misclassifies the semantic mechanism at work.

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    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.Indefinites exhibit non-quantificational existential force that persists across apparent scope variations, suggesting a distinct semantic mechanism.
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    • 2.Scopal ambiguity frameworks require explicit quantifier domain restrictions that indefinites demonstrably lack in their core compositional behavior.
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    • 3.Indefinite-specific phenomena like wide-scope existentials and donkey anaphora resist unified explanation via standard quantifier scope principles.
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    Reasons Against

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    • 1.Scope operations provide empirically adequate accounts of indefinite readings without requiring additional semantic mechanisms beyond established quantifier logic.
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    • 2.The distinction between 'genuine quantifiers' and indefinites may reflect representational convention rather than fundamental semantic difference in denotation type.
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    • 3.Complex indefinite behaviors (donkey anaphora, wide scope) emerge naturally from interaction with modal/temporal operators, not necessarily from non-quantificational semantics.
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    Philosophy of Language1 linked

    Related

    Complex indefinite behaviors (donkey anaphora, wide scope) emerge naturally from...Indefinite-specific phenomena like wide-scope existentials and donkey anaphora r...Indefinites exhibit non-quantificational existential force that persists across ...Scopal ambiguity frameworks require explicit quantifier domain restrictions that...
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    Scope operations provide empirically adequate accounts of indefinite readings wi...The distinction between 'genuine quantifiers' and indefinites may reflect repres...The multiple readings of 'Every man who read a book by Chomsky is happy' should ...

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