@cite{elbourne-2013}: Situation-Semantic Definite Descriptions @cite{elbourne-2013} #
@cite{barwise-perry-1983} @cite{elbourne-2005} @cite{heim-1982} @cite{postal-1966} @cite{schwarz-2009} @cite{kamp-1981} @cite{stanley-szab-2000} @cite{tonhauser-beaver-roberts-simons-2013} @cite{roberts-2012} @cite{donnellan-1966} @cite{kripke-1977} @cite{karttunen-1974}
Formalizes the core theoretical machinery and empirical predictions from:
Elbourne, P. (2013). Definite Descriptions. Oxford Studies in Semantics and Pragmatics 1.
Elbourne argues that definite descriptions have a Fregean/Strawsonian semantics — they are type e, introduce a presupposition of existence + uniqueness, and are evaluated relative to situations (parts of worlds).
The single lexical entry ⟦the⟧ = λf.λs : ∃!x f(x)(s) = 1. ιx f(x)(s) = 1 unifies:
- Referential vs attributive uses (Ch 5): free vs bound situation pronoun
- Presupposition projection (Ch 4): domain conditions + λ-Conversion
- Donkey anaphora (Ch 6): pronouns = the + NP-deletion; minimal situations
- De re / de dicto (Ch 7): scope of situation binding, not DP scope
- Incomplete definites (Ch 9): situation restricts evaluation domain
- Existence entailments (Ch 8): presupposition projects to belief states
Key Results #
the_sit/the_sit': Elbourne's situation-relative ⟦the⟧the_sit_at_world_eq_the_uniq_w: specializes to existingthe_uniq_wattributive_is_the_sit_bound: Donnellan's attributive =the_sit'(bound s)donkey_uniqueness_from_minimality: minimal situations yield uniquenesspronoun_is_definite_article: ⟦it⟧ = ⟦the⟧the_sit_assertion_implies_presup: assertion entails presupposition
Empirical Chain #
Fragments/English/Determiners.lean
"the": qforce =.definite → the_sit / the_sit'
Fragments/English/Pronouns.lean
"it"/"he"/"she": pronounType =.personal, person =.third → the_sit' + NP-deletion
↓
(this file: theory + empirical predictions)
referential/attributive → truth values → match empirical judgments
incomplete definites → situation-relative uniqueness
donkey anaphora → minimality → uniqueness
A situation frame: the ontological foundation for Elbourne's system.
Situations are parts of worlds, ordered by a part-of relation ≤. Worlds are maximal situations. Properties and quantifiers are evaluated relative to situations rather than worlds, enabling situation-dependent uniqueness and domain restriction.
Based on @cite{barwise-perry-1983}: situations are "individuals having properties and standing in relations at various spatiotemporal locations". @cite{kratzer-1989}: situations are parts of worlds with a mereological structure.
- Sit : Type
Domain of situations (D_s) — includes both partial situations and worlds
- Ent : Type
Domain of entities (D_e)
Part-of relation (≤): s₁ ≤ s₂ means s₁ is part of s₂
Reflexivity: every situation is part of itself
Transitivity: part-of is transitive
Antisymmetry: mutual part-of implies identity
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A world is a maximal situation — one that no other situation properly extends.
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A situation s is minimal for property P iff P holds at s and at no proper part of s. Minimality is key for donkey anaphora (Ch 6): in a minimal situation where "a farmer owns a donkey", there is exactly one farmer and one donkey, securing uniqueness.
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⟦the⟧ in Elbourne's system: the situation-relative Fregean definite.
⟦the⟧ = λf_{⟨e,st⟩}.λs : s ∈ D_s ∧ ∃!x f(x)(s) = 1. ιx f(x)(s) = 1
Takes a restrictor (property of entities relative to situations) and a situation, presupposes existence+uniqueness in that situation, and returns the unique satisfier.
The situation parameter s may be:
- Free (referential use, Ch 5): mapped to a contextually salient s*
- Bound (attributive use, Ch 5): bound by a higher operator (ς, Σ)
- Bound by quantifier (donkey anaphora, Ch 6): bound by always/GEN
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the_sit instantiated with bare type parameters (no SituationFrame).
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When situations ARE worlds, the_sit' = the_uniq_w.
The presupposition of the_sit' is determined solely by the filter result.
A true assertion entails a satisfied presupposition.
Donnellan's attributive semantics IS the_sit' with a bound situation
variable.
In Elbourne's system, donkey pronouns are definite articles with phonologically null NP complements (NP-deletion).
The restrictor property (e.g., "donkey")
- sitVar : F.Sit
The pronoun's situation variable
The domain of entities
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Uniqueness in donkey contexts derives from minimality of situations.
Donnellan's referential/attributive distinction maps to Elbourne's free/bound situation variable distinction.
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Mapping is total and injective.
- situationVariable : IncompletenessSource
- relationVariable : IncompletenessSource
- pragmaticEnrichment : IncompletenessSource
- explicitApproach : IncompletenessSource
- lotRelationVariable : IncompletenessSource
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How the deleted NP content is recovered.
- antecedent : NPDeletionSource
- visualCue : NPDeletionSource
- generalKnowledge : NPDeletionSource
- donkeyRestrictor : NPDeletionSource
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- pronounForm : String
- deletedNP : String
- npSource : NPDeletionSource
- equivalentDefinite : String
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.instBEqPronounAsDefinite.beq x✝¹ x✝ = false
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Pronoun denotation: ⟦it⟧ = ⟦the⟧ + NP-deletion.
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.pronounDenot domain recoveredNP scope = Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.the_sit' domain recoveredNP scope
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Pronouns = definite articles.
Pronoun assertions entail pronoun presuppositions.
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.instBEqSitBinder.beq x✝¹ x✝ = false
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.instBEqSitVar.beq (Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.SitVar.free a) (Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.SitVar.free b) = (a == b)
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.instBEqSitVar.beq (Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.SitVar.bound a) (Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.SitVar.bound b) = (a == b)
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.instBEqSitVar.beq x✝¹ x✝ = false
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A QUD over worlds induces a "relevance" relation on situations.
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.qudRelevantSituation F leDecide q w _hw s = (F.le s w ∧ q.sameAnswer w s = true ∧ F.isMinimal (fun (s' : F.Sit) => leDecide s' w && q.sameAnswer w s') s)
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Bridge 1: "the" → the_sit #
Bridge 3: Pronouns → the_sit + NP-deletion #
Bridge 4: Donnellan → Elbourne #
Bridge 5: Pronoun-as-definite examples #
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.instBEqSit.beq x✝ y✝ = (x✝.ctorIdx == y✝.ctorIdx)
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.instBEqEnt.beq x✝ y✝ = (x✝.ctorIdx == y✝.ctorIdx)
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isMurderer Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Ent.jones Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Sit.sCourtroom = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isMurderer Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Ent.wilson Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Sit.wActual = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isMurderer x✝¹ x✝ = false
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isTable Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Ent.table1 Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Sit.sOffice = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isTable Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Ent.table1 Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Sit.wActual = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isTable Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Ent.table2 Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Sit.wActual = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isTable Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Ent.table3 Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.Sit.wActual = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isTable x✝¹ x✝ = false
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.dkLe x✝ Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.wActual = True
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.dkLe Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.sMin1 Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.sMin1 = True
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.dkLe Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.sMin2 Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.sMin2 = True
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.dkLe x✝¹ x✝ = False
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isDonkey Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkEnt.donkey_a Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.sMin1 = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isDonkey Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkEnt.donkey_b Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.sMin2 = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isDonkey Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkEnt.donkey_a Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.wActual = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isDonkey Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkEnt.donkey_b Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.wActual = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isDonkey Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkEnt.donkey_c Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.DkSit.wActual = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isDonkey x✝¹ x✝ = false
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- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isPresident Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.BEnt.jones Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.BSit.actual = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isPresident Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.BEnt.smith Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.BSit.belief = true
- Phenomena.Reference.Studies.Elbourne2013.isPresident x✝¹ x✝ = false
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