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Description:
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This dissertation proposes a semantically dichotomous analysis of wh-clauses as denoting either questions or quantified propositions, depending on syntactic context (in certain cases additionally influenced by lexical properties). Behavior under quantificational adverbs provides the primary diagnostic tool and motivates analysing wh-phrases as inherently nonquantified open sentences, following the Heim/Kamp treatment of indefinites. Restrictions on wh-phrase quantifiability, which it is argued interacts with presupposition, motivate the semantic dichotomy. Additionally, the quantified interpretation is argued not to involve inherent exhaustiveness.
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