A Cross-Linguistic Study on Information Backgrounding and Presupposition Projection

Abstract

This chapter builds on previous work on the diversity of English presupposition triggers with respect to their projection behavior in an experimental setting (Amaral et al., Proceedings of ESSLLI 2011 Workshop on Projective Content, pp. 1–7, 2011; Cummins et al., Humana Mente 23:1–15, 2012, Proceedings of Sinn und Bedeutung 17, pp. 201–218, 2013). Using the same methodology and similar materials, but in Spanish, we investigate the empirical validity of the distinction between two classes of presupposition triggers posited in the theoretical literature, namely that between lexical and resolution triggers (Zeevat, Journal of Semantics 9:379–412, 1992). The results of this study replicate our previous findings with English data. First, native speakers exhibit the same tendencies with respect to the addressability of foregrounded vs backgrounded content in coherent question-answer pairs. Second, the results point to native speakers’ sensitivity to the distinction between lexical and resolution triggers, while further suggesting that distinctions within classes of triggers should be understood as gradient rather than categorical.