Meaning and grammar seminar

Speaker: Nicole Katzir (Tel Aviv University)

Title: Beyond quantity: A few versus several

Abstract: Quantifiers are typically seen as primarily denoting quantities or proportions. Thus, the fact that several is associated with slightly higher quantities than a few seems to explain why (1)a presents a more persuasive argument than (1)b.

• 1a. The exam was difficult. Several students failed.
• 1b. The exam was difficult. A few students failed.

In this talk, I present experimental and corpus data which show that, contra the ‘objectivist’ view, quantity alone is insufficient to account for the differences between a few and several. First, the experiment teases apart argumentative force and quantity, and shows that the difference in quantity cannot by itself explain the difference in argumentative strength. Looking at the prototypical discourse profiles of the two quantifiers (using data from COCA), a picture emerges according to which their argumentative force is closely related to how they construe their nominal head. Unlike a few, several construes it as composed of individuated, distinct entities. In fact, a diachronic examination suggests that individuation may facilitate several’s preference for higher quantities via its association with a relatively strong argumentative force. If so, it is most likely the stronger argumentative strength that motivates the association of several with higher quantities rather than the other way around.