Natural Language Ontology and Semantic Theory

This Element discusses which kinds of objects are assumed by our best semantic theories and how they can be constrained.

Kristina Liefke (Author)

9781009539272, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 27 February 2025

84 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 0.6 cm, 0.259 kg

This Element gives an introduction to the emerging discipline of natural language ontology. Natural language ontology is an area at the interface of semantics, metaphysics, and philosophy of language that is concerned with which kinds of objects are assumed by our best semantic theories. The Element reviews different strategies for identifying a language's ontological commitments. It observes that, while languages share a large number of their ontological commitments (such as to individuals, properties, events, and kinds), they differ in other commitments (for example, to degrees). The Element closes by relating different language and theory-specific ontologies, and by pointing out the merits and challenges of identifying inter-category relations within a single ontology.

1. Introduction
2. Identifying Semantic Commitments
3. Montague's Semantic Ontology
4. Larger Semantic Ontologies
5. Relating Different Ontologies
6. Conclusion: Finding the perfect ontology?
References.

Subject Areas: Semantics, discourse analysis, etc [CFG]