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Adjective phrase
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== Semantic ambiguity == Although constituency tests can prove the existence of an AP in a sentence, the meanings of these AP may be [[Ambiguity|ambiguous]]. This ambiguity must be considered when considering the [[Semantic ambiguity|semantic]] versus [[Pragmatics|pragmatic]] meaning. The following examples prove two things:<ref>[[Guglielmo Cinque|Cinque, Guglielmo]]. (2014). The semantic classification of adjectives. A view from syntax. Studies in Chinese Linguistics. 35. 1-30.</ref> # Adjective phrases that are pre-nominal create ambiguous interpretations. # Head adjectives that move to post-nominal position creates unambiguous interpretations. ''Note: This section can be added into the [[adjective]]s page, but ambiguity can also apply to adjective phrases. Additionally, comma placements and intonations may have a role in figuring out ambiguity, but English has a written form of communication that is more ambiguous than spoken communication.'' The following examples show the different interpretive properties of pre- and post-nominal '''adjectives''' which are inside <u>adjective phrases</u>. === Intersective versus non-intersective interpretation of AP === {{ordered list | list-style-type=lower-alpha | Ambiguous sentence: I've never met a <u>more '''beautiful'''</u> dancer than Mary {{ordered list | Intersective: I've never met a dancer who is more beautiful (as a person) than Mary | Non-intersective: I've never met anyone dancing more beautifully than Mary }} | Unambiguous sentence: I've never met a dancer <u>more '''beautiful'''</u> than Mary {{ordered list | Intersective: I've never met a dancer who is more beautiful (as a person) than Mary | *Non-intersective: *I've never met anyone dancing more beautifully than Mary }} }} This example showed then entire adjective phrase moving, creating the same ambiguity as example 1. Therefore, the placement of the adjective relative to the subject is important for creating unambiguous statements.<ref>Larson, Richard K. 1995. Olga is a beautiful dancer. Ms., Stony Brook University text of a paper delivered at the 1995 Winter Meeting of the LSA, New Orleans (http:// semlab5.sbs.sunysb.edu/~rlarson/lsa95.pdf).</ref> === Restrictive versus non-restrictive interpretation of AP === {{ordered list | list-style-type=lower-alpha | Ambiguous sentence: All the <u>short '''blessed'''</u> people were healed. {{ordered list | Non-restrictive: All the short people were healed | Restrictive: Only the people that were short and blessed were healed }} | Unambiguous sentence: All the <u>short</u> people '''<u>blessed</u>''' were healed. {{ordered list | <nowiki>*</nowiki>Non-restrictive: All the people were healed (* {{=}} not possible for this interpretation) | Restrictive: All the people that were short and blessed were healed }} }} The adjective '''blessed''' is ambiguous in pre-nominal position because it creates a restrictive and a nonrestrictive interpretation (a), while in post-nominal position it only displays a restrictive interpretation (b).<ref>Bolinger, Dwight. 1967. Adjectives in English: Attribution and predication. Lingua18: 1β34.</ref> Plus, when the main adjective of the adjective phrase is moved to post-nominal position, only one interpretation is possible. There is cross-linguistic validity, according to the multiple articles referenced in Cinque's article, which studied this adjective placement in Italian as well. Cinque discovered that exactly the same pattern was seen in Italian, because ambiguous interpretations only appeared when the adjective phrase was placed in pre-nominal position. Next, other research articles also confirm that this word order phenomenon exists in [[Mandarin Chinese]], creating ambiguous interpretations. For example, an adjective phrase with the head adjective ''private'' in pre-object position, creates two interpretations. On the other hand, an adjective phrase with the head adjective ''private'' placed in post-object position only creates one interpretation.<ref>Paul, Waltraud. 2010. Adjectives in Mandarin Chinese: the rehabilitation of a much ostracized category. In Adjectives. Formal analyses in syntax and semantics. ed. Cabredo-Hofherr, P., and O. Matushansky, 115-152. Amsterdam: Benjamins</ref>
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