Natural Language Semantics https://doi.org/10.1007/s11050-019-09159-2 Definiteness projection Matthew Mandelkern1 · Daniel Rothschild2 © The Author(s) 2019 Abstract We argue that definite noun phrases give rise to uniqueness inferences character- ized by a pattern we call definiteness projection. Definiteness projection says that the uniqueness inference of a definite projects out unless there is an indefinite antecedent in a position that filters presuppositions. We argue that definiteness pro- jection poses a serious puzzle for e-type theories of (in)definites; on such theories, indefinites should filter existence presuppositions but not uniqueness presuppositions. We argue that definiteness projection also poses challenges for dynamic approaches, which have trouble generating uniqueness inferences and predicting some filtering behavior, though unlike the challenge for e-type theories, these challenges have mostly been noted in the literature, albeit in a piecemeal way. Our central aim, however, is not to argue for or against a particular view, but rather to formulate and motivate a generalization about definiteness which any adequate theory must account for. Matthew Mandelkern and Daniel Rothschild have contributed equally. Many thanks to audiences at Leibniz-ZAS, the NYU Mind and Language seminar, the 2019 London Semantics Day at Queen Mary, and the UCL Semantics Seminar, and to Kyle Blumberg, Richard Breheny, Keny Chatain, Simon Charlow, Cian Dorr, Patrick Elliot, Nathan Klinedinst, Lukas Lewerentz, Karen Lewis, Florian Schwarz, Yasu Sudo, and three anonymous referees for Natural Language Semantics for very helpful comments and discussion. B Daniel Rothschild
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[email protected] 1 All Souls College, Oxford OX1 4AL, UK 2 University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK 123 M.