Distributivity and the Japanese floating numeral quantifier

This dissertation proposes a semantic analysis of Japanese numeral quantifiers that contain classifiers such as nin and hon within the framework of generative grammar and generalized quantifier theory. The focus of the investigation is the observation that the Japanese sentence with a floating numeral quantifier generally only gives rise to a distributive reading, while that with a DP-internal numeral quantifier may be interpreted nondistributively as well as distributively.; The numeral quantifier is an expression consisting of a numeral and a classifier and occurs either in a DP-internal position or in a floating position. On the basis of the observation that the classifier is semantically significant, it is proposed that the classifier functions as a restrictive domain of quantification for the numeral. However, syntactically the DP-internal numeral quantifier and the floating numeral quantifier differ in that the former combines with an NP, while the latter combines with a predicate. Accordingly, it is proposed that in DP-internal numeral quantification, the nuclear scope of the numeral is the NP, while in the case of floating numeral quantification it is the predicate. Under this analysis, the Japanese classifier denotes a set of only atomic individuals, a logical requirement for it to function as the restrictive domain of quantification for the numeral. These atoms may be either individual objects or individual events, as determined by the lexical specification of each classifier.; In the case of floating numeral quantification, an obligatory distributive reading follows directly from the numeral quantifier's immediate composition with the predicate, given the denotation of the classifier. In the DP-internal numeral quantification, the ambiguity follows from the fact that a plural term is generated, in which case the mechanisms yielding collective and cover readings are always optionally applicable. These mechanisms are restricted to the nominal domain, however, and therefore cannot apply in the case of floating numeral quantification.; The proposed semantic analysis offers a unified account of Japanese DP-internal and floating numeral quantification, both with classifiers that denote sets of atomic objects and classifiers that denote sets of atomic events.