Lucia M. Tovena : Modal superlatives and the stage-level vs. individual-level reading of the gradable adjective
CLUL Seminars
seminarioclul
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Local
Sala B112.D da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa

The next session of Seminário CLUL is scheduled for the 12th of December, Thursday, between 5pm and 6pm, in room B112.D.

Lucia M. Tovena (Université Paris Cité)

Title: Modal superlatives and the stage-level vs. individual-level reading of the gradable adjective

Abstract: This talk is about the semantics of quality modal superlatives in predicative function, e.g. Italian E’ stata il più calma possibile (She was the calmest possible). We discuss an analysis based on a comparison class made of world+individual pairs grouped into equivalence classes defined through the amount of the gradable property. The stage-level reading of the adjective, although predominant, is shown not to be the manifestation of the invariance of the individual being compared.