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Workshop 5Formal Approaches to the

Relation of Tense, Aspect and Modality

CoordinatorsYukinori Takubo Stefan KaufmannKyoto University Northwestern University

Basic ideas behind the theme of the workshop

A: Forms that express tense, aspect and modality may be related, or may be the same in some languages.

B: Devise some formal mechanisms that explain A, if A is the case

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A case study:

• tokoro-da in Japanese

• Aspectual forms+tokoro-da:

Immediacy

• Conditional consequence+tokoro-da: Counterfactuality

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Some basic facts• Non-past form: RU /ru/~/u/

• Past form:TA /ta/~/da/

• Progressive form: TEI

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Nonstative verb+RU

Event e succeeding the reference time r (or ut): future, either remote or immediate

John-wa akai zyaketto-o ki-ru TOP red jacket-ACC wear-RU

John will wear a jacket {now, for his 60th birthday in two years}

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Nonstative+TA

Event e immediately or remotely preceding r (or ut)

John- wa akai zyaketto-o ki-ta TOP red jacket-ACC wear-TA

John wore a jacket {just now, for his 60 the birthday in two years ago}

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Stative+ru/ta• When attached to statives /-ru/ means that a stative eventuality e holds at r preceding

ut.

Watasi-ni wa eigo-ga hanase-ru . I-Dat TOP English-NOM can_speak-RU 'I can speak English (now).'

/-ta/ means that a stative eventuality e holds at r succeeding ut.

Watasi-ni wa eigo-ga hanase-ta . I-Dat TOP English-NOM can_speak-TA 'I was able to speak English (then).'

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tei form

John- wa akai zyaketto-o ki-tei {ru,ta} TOP red jacket-ACC wear-TEI {RU,TA}

John is putting on a red jacket. Progressive

John has a red jacket on. Resultative state

(Li.) John has worn a red jacket ten years ago (for his 60th birthday). Perfect or past experience

　　

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ru-tokoro-da

• Only immediate future reading is possible for V-ru tokoro-da

Watasi-wa ima-kara akai jacket-o ki-ru tokoro-daI-TOP now from red jacket-ACC wear-RU TOKORO-COP

I am going to put on a red jacket from now.

* Watasi-wa 2 nen go ni akai jacket-o ki-ru tokoro-daI-TOP two years from now red jacket-ACC wear-RU TOKORO-COP

I am going to put on a red jacket 2 years from now

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Ta-tokoroda

Only immediate past reading for V-ta+tokoro-da

Watasi-wa ima akai jacket-o ki-ta tokoro-daI-TOP now red jacket-ACC wear-TA TOKORO-COP

I have just put on a red jacket.

* Watasi-wa 2 nenmae ni akai jacket-o ki-ta tokoro-daI-TOP two years from now red jacket-ACC wear-RU TOKORO-COP

I put on a red jacket 2 years ago

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te i-ru+ tokorodaOnly progressive reading is possible for tei{ru/ta} tokoroda

a. John- wa akai zyaketto-o ki-tei {ru,ta} tokoro-da TOP red jacket-ACC wear-TEI {RU,TA} tokoro-COP

John is putting on a red jacket. Progressive

b. *John- wa sakki kara akai zyaketto-o ki-tei {ru,ta} tokoro-da

TOP a moment since red jacket-ACC wear-TEI {RU,TA} tokoro-COP

John has a red jacket on since moment ago. Resultative state

c.*John- wa 2 nenmae akai zyaketto-o ki-tei {ru,ta} tokoro-da TOP 2 yeas ago red jacket-ACC wear-TEI {RU,TA} tokoro-COP

(Li.) John has worn a red jacket ten years ago (for his 60th birthday). Perfect or past experience

Counterfactual interpretation of c is possible.

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Stative verbs+tokoro-da:tokoro-da cannot be attached to stative verbs

*Watasi-ni wa eigo-ga dekiru tokoro-da. I-Dat TOP English-NOM can-TOKORO-COP 'I can read English.'

• Stative+tokoro-da must be interpreted as counterfactual, rather than aspectual.

Watasi-ga America-de umareteitara, eigo-ga hanaseru tokoroda. I-NOM America-LOC was-born-if English-NOM can-speak TOKORO-COP If I were born in America, I would be able speak English now.

Interim summary

• RU vague for immediate or remote future• TA vague for immediate or remote past• TEI(RU/TA) progressive, resultant state,

perfect • RU tokoroda: immediate future• TA tokoroda: immediate past• TEI (RU/TA)tokoroda: progressive• Stative,Nonprogressive TEI+tokoroda:

counterfactual13

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tokoro: tokoro as a point of reference marker.

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Spatial relation

□ 　　　　　　○

• ○ as the reference □-wa ○-no hidari-ni aru. TOP GEN left-LOC be ‘□is to the left of ○.’

• □ as the reference ○-wa □‐no migi-ni aru TOP GEN right-LOC be ‘□is to the right of ○.’

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　 △　▲　▽　□　■　●　◎ー＞　　　　　　　　　○ー＞

• □-wa ■-no hidari-ni aru. TOP GEN left-LOC be ‘□is to the left of ■.’

• tokoro as the reference point marker ○-wa □-no tokoro-ni aru TOP GEN right-LOC be

‘○is at □ (not right or left).’

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Relational noun for time:go-home>have-dinner>brush-teeth>go-to-bed. (25) Neru mae-ni ha-o migaku.

go-to-sleep before teeth-ACC brush (I) brush teeth before going to bed.

neru(e)<go-to-bed(e)

ha-o migai-ta ato-de neru teeth acc brush after-LOC sleep (I) go to bed after brushing my teeth. mae-ni (x,y) : x is before yneru mae-ni ha-o migaku ha-o migaku‘(e)<neru‘(e)

ato-de (x,y): x is afer yha-o migai-ta ato-de neru ha o migaku’(e)<neru’(e)

Neru' is the point of reference for the temporal relation before.

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Tokoro as a marker for the point of

reference.

Tokoro is can be considered as a special kind of relational noun representing a reference point:

R(x,y) [(x is at y) & y is the reference point]

Spatial relation:no higasi (x,y) : x is on/ to the east of yno mae (x, y) : x is in front of yno tokoro (x,y): x is (not in front of or east of but) at y 　 Temporal relation mae-ni (x,y): x takes place before y ato-de (x.y): x takes place after y tokoro-de (x.y): x takes place (not before or after but) at y

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ru-form: 　 <----------r-------- [ e ] in contact with (r,e) or preceding (r, e)

ta-form: [ e ]-----r-------------------- in contact with (r,e) or succeeding (r,e)

tei-form: [ -- e--r---] --------r-- included (r, e) or succeeding (r, e)

e is the reference point in each tense/ aspect expression

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tokoro picks out e as the point of reference: r at e.

ru-tokoro-da form: 　 <----------r-------- [s e f] in contact with or preceding (r, e) and r at e : r in contact

with the start time of eta-tokoro-da form: [s e f]-----r-------------------- in contact with or succeeding (r,e) and r at e: r in contact

with the finishing time of e

tei-(ru/ta)-tokoro-da form: [s -- e--r--- f]-- -r---------

{included (r, e) or succeeding (r, e) } and r at e: included (r,e)

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tokoro-da in counterfactuals

Statives+tokorodaAmerica-de umareteitara, eigo-ga hanaseru tokoroda. America-in was-born-if English-NOM can-speak TOKORO-COP

If I had been born in America, I would be able speak English now.

Perfect+tokoroda

Nihon-ni itara, 2 nenmae akai zyaketto-o ki-tei {ru,ta} tokoro-daJapan-in be-if 2 yeas ago red jacket-ACC wear-TEI {RU,TA} tokoro-COP

(Li.) If I had been in Japan, I would have worn a red jacket two years ago (for my 60th birthday

• tokoro-da can be either temporal or modal.

• Nonstative+tokoro-da can either be temporal or modal.

• Stative+tokoro-da can only be modal.

Why?

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• Nonstative eventuality: r: R(r,e)

R: precedence, inclusion, succession

• Stative eventuality: true at ｒ : e⊃r

• tokoro-da restricts R to inclusion, which, in the case of statives is redundant if interpreted temporally, hence the obligatory modal interpretation

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But why counterfactual?

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Assumption

A: Lexical properties of tokoro as a point of reference forces sentences with tokoro-da to be interpreted as an eyewitness report, thereby committing the speaker to its truth.

We will show the assumption A is enough to derive the counterfactual status of stative+tokoro-da conditionals.

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a. if p then q tokoro-da

By the lexical properties of tokoro-da, the

speaker knows that q is true in a. So b holds.

b. q is true∧ (p→q)

Given b, saying just q is more informative than saying a, unless by a you want to say q if p (or q iff p).

　　

• (the speaker knows q is true) and (q only if p). The three possible cases for the status of p.

a)the speaker knows that p is true.

b)the speaker knows that p is false.

c)the speaker does not know whether p is true or false.

Since q is true, q only if p should be false if (b) is true. Since q only if p, if the speaker knows q is true, then he should know that p is true, because p is the necessary condition for q to hold. So c cannot be the case.

• The speaker knows that p is true.

a. Suppose the speaker assumes that the hearer believes not p is true. ￢ p∧q

In this context conditional forms are inappropriate to correct the hearer’s assumption in J. Concessive forms must be used.

• b. Suppose the speaker knows p is true and assumes that the hearer does not know whether p is true.

Conditional forms are not appropriate. Reason forms must be used.

• Conditional forms cannot be used if the speaker knows that q is true!

• Suppose the speaker knows that q is false, that is, ￢ q is true.

the speaker knows that p is true ->the conditional becomes false, violating Grice’s maxim of quality.

the speaker know that p is false->the conditional sentence is okay!

conditional tokoro-da location on the vertical axis

　　　　　　 q 　　　　 --------B--- closest counterfactual situation

p ( p,q)

E ------------A---- reality ( ￢ p, ￢ q)

￢ p 　　￢ q

Summary

i) tokoro-da can be either temporal or modal (or spatial).

ii) Nonstatives-tokoro-da can either be temporal or modal.

iii) Statives-tokoro-da can only be modal and counterfactual.

• iv) (iii) is to be attributed to the the lexical meaning of tokoro as a reference point marker ：

• tokoro places r at e• q tokoro-da is part of the reality where the

speaker’s point of view is.

This is a case where tense, aspect and modality meet.

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Conclusion

• Let us talk about things like this in this workshop and try to find how they can be formalized!

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Mosi kono kanzya-ga gan dat-ta ra,

if this patient-NOM cancer be-PAST

ima aru-itami-ga at-ta tokoro-da.

now (in reality) exist pain-NOM now exist PAST probably

tasikani, kare-wa itami-ga at-ta

Indeed he-TOP pain-NOM be-PAST

 

Dakara kare-wa gan-da.

therefore he-TOP has-cancer-PRES

[intended]‘If this patient had cancer, he would suffer from the pain that he is now suffering. Thus, he has cancer.’

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