Publications

in prep.

'Functional Concepts and Frames'.

pdf on semantics archive

The paper connects Barsalou's definition of frames to the notion of functional concepts: attributes in frames are FCs. If frames are the general format of concepts in human cognition, this means that categorization is in terms of functional concepts.

in prep.

'Evidence for frames from natural anguage'. To appear in T. Gamerschlag, D. Gerland, W. Petersen, R. Osswald (eds.), Proceedings of the 2009 Conference on Concept types and Frames at Düsseldorf.

ms

Discussion of the question if natural language provides evidence for the claim that Barsalou frames constitute the universal format of conceptual repersentation in the human cognitive system. The paper suggests that the answer is positive.

2012

'Sub-compositionality)'. In Wolfram Hinzen, Edouard Machery, Markus Werning (eds.); The Oxford Handbook of Compositionality. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 220-241.

preprint

A syntactic construction is subcompositional if there is no uniform semantic composition rule for all its instantiations. Arguments against the strategy of "Generalizing to the worst case", and in favour of admitting subcompositionality. German verb grading with sehr ('very', 'a lot') as a case of subcompositionality.

2011

'Dual oppositions in lexical meaning'. In Claudia Maienborn, Klaus von Heusinger, Paul Portner (eds.). Semantics: An International Handbook of Natural Language Meaning (HSK). Berlin, New York: De Gruyter. pp. 479-506.

preprint

Handbook survey on duality relations.Logical definition of duality, negation, and subnegation (internal negation). The duality square and its relationship to Aristotle's square of oppositions. Self-duality (including NEG-raising verbs). Relative markedness within duality groups. Phase quantification.

2011

'Concept Types and Determination' Journal of Semantics 28: 279-333 

abstract

preprint

Generalization of the theory of definiteness proposed in Löbner 1985 'Definites': definite, indefinite, relative, and absolute determination as operations on sortal, individual, relational, and functional concepts/CNPs. Congruent and incongruent determination; concept type shifts. General outline plus statistical, typological, and historical evidence.

2008

'Lexical Semantics'. In Piet van Sterkenburg (ed.), Unity and Diversity of Language. Benjamins. pp. 189-200

"State of the art" article for the section Lexical Semantics  at the 18th International Congress of Linguists CIL18, July 2008 in Seoul.

2005

'Funktionalbegriffe und Frames – Interdisziplinäre Grundlagenforschung zu Sprache, Kognition und Wissenschaft'. In Alfons Labisch (Hrsg.), Jahrbuch der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf 2004.  Düsseldorf: Heinrich-Heine-Universität. S. 463-477.
full text

Allgemeinverständliche Beschreibung der DFG Forschergruppe FOR 600 "Funktionalbegriffe und Frames" (2005-2011).

2005

'Quantoren im GWDS'
In H. E. Wiegand (Hrsg.), Untersuchungen zur kommerziellen Lexikographie der deutschen Gegenwartssprache II. "Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden." Print- und CD-ROM-Version. Tübingen: Niemeyer, S. 171-192 .

Differenzierung zwischen echten Quantoren (jeder, alle, beide ...) und Kardinalitätsattributen (Zahlwörter, einige, viele, etc.)
Kritik der Behandlung von "Indefinitpronomen", Numeralia und "Quantoren" im GWDS

2002

Sebastian Löbner
'Is the German Perfekt a Perfect Perfect?'
In I. Kaufmann, B. Stiebels (eds.) More than Words: A Festschrift for Dieter Wunderlich. Berlin: Akademie Verlag, pp. 369-391

full text
abstract

Plead for an ambiguity analysis of the German "Perfekt" form (present tense haben/sein with past participle): the form is ambiguous between a non-perfect past meaning and a non-past perfect meaning.

2000

'Polarity in natural language: predication, quantification and negation in particular and characterizing sentences',
Linguistics and Philosophy 23: 213-308.

abstract

full text

Negation, truth conditions, and presuppositions of definite vs quantifying predications, particular and characterizing. Presupposition of Indivisibility; varieties and levels of plural; adverbialand nominal quantification. Genericity. Pragmatic aspects of polarization.

1999

'Why German schon and noch are still duals: A reply to van der Auwera'
Linguistics and Philosophy 22: 45-107.

abstract

Reply to van der Auwera's 1993 criticsm of Löbner's (1989) duality analysis of German schon, noch, and erst. Relationship between schon and endlich (finally). Further duality groups around endlich/noch immer and noch/nur noch.

1998

'Definite Associative Anaphora'. In Simon Botley (ed.), Approaches to discourse anaphora. Proceedings of DAARC96 - Discourse Anaphora and Resolution Colloquium. Lancaster University, July 17th-18th. Lancaster. 

pdf on semantics archive

Analysis of definite associative abnaphora (DAA) on the basis of the 1985 paper on definites. Thesis: DAA CNPs are functional concepts; they denote an attribute in the (Barsalou) frame of their antecedent's referent. Discourse referents form a frame-format network where th links are provided by frame attributes.

1992

Yoshiki Mori, Sebastian Löbner, Katharina Micha
'Aspektuelle Verbklassen im Japanischen'
Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft 11: 189-215.

full text

Aspektuelle Verbklassifikation japanischer Verben anhand der klassischen Vendlerkriterien. Erweiterung des Spektrums der klassischen vier Vendlerklassen (9 Klassen fürs Japanische); zusätzliche Resultativitätsklassifikation

1989

Sebastian Löbner
'German schon - erst - noch: an integrated analysis'
Linguistics and Philosophy 12: 167-212.

abstract

Analysis of temporal and nontemporal uses of the German aspectual focus particles schon, erst, noch: The particles form a duality group of phase quantifiers. The general format of phase quantification and the semantic interaction of the particles with aspect and focus; transfer of thetemporal meanings to nontemporal uses.

1988

'Ansätze zu einer integralen semantischen Theorie von Tempus, Aspektund Aktionsarten'
In V. Ehrich, H. Vater (Hrsg.), Temporalsemantik: Beiträge zur Linguistik der Zeitreferenz, Tübingen: Niemeyer, S. 163-191.

Grundzüge einer Theorie zur Interaktion von Tempus, Aspekt und Verbtyp auf der Basis des Ansatzes von A. Galton 1984 The Logic of Aspect. Kritik des S-R-E Ansatzes von Reichenbach.

1987

'Natural language and Generalized Quantifier Theory'
In P. Gärdenfors (ed.), Generalized Quantifiers: linguistic and logical approaches. Dordrecht: Reidel, pp. 181-201.

Arguments against a quantificational (GQT) analysis of definite and indefinite NPs..

1987

'Quantification as a major module of natural language semantics'
In J. Groenendijk, M. Stokhof, D. de Jongh (Hrsg.), Studies in Discourse Representation Theory and the Theory of Generalized Quantifiers. Dordrecht: Foris, pp. 53-85.

Phase quantification as the underlying general format of aspectual focus particles such as schn/already, scalar adjectives and quantifiers. Duality relations and monotonicity properties; logical quantifiers as semantic automata.

1986

Sebastian Löbner
'In Sachen Nullartikel'
Linguistische Berichte 101: 64-65.
full text

Wider die Annahme einer Artikelposition in artikellosen NPs

1985

'Drei ist drei'
In W. Kürschner, R. Vogt (Hrsg.), Grammatik, Semantik, Textlinguistik. Akten des 19. Linguistischen Kolloquiums Vechta 1984,
Tübingen: Niemeyer, S. 311-318.

Argumente gegen die existentielle Deutung von Indefinita und gegen die "mindestens n"-Analyse von Zahlwörtern.

1985

'Definites'
Journal of Semantics 4: 279-326.

full text and references to the article

Development of the hypothesis that all definites (personal pronouns, demonstratives, definite NPs, and proper names) are used as functional (= individual) concepts. The definite article indicates that the noun is to be taken as afunctional concept in the given context. Subclassification of conceptual noun types. Semantic vs. pragmatic definites; discussion of all uses of definites according to Hawkins 1978.

1985

'Natürlichsprachliche Quantoren. Zur Verallgemeinerung des Begriffs der Quantifikation'
Studium Linguistik 17/18: 79-113.

Quantoren und Phasenquantoren, Dualität, Monotonieeigenschaften, Beispiele für Phasenquantifikation

1981

'Intensional verbs and functional concepts: more on the "rising temperature'' problem'. Squib.
Linguistic Inquiry 12: 471-477.

The essential arguments and results of the 1990 dissertation. Reply to an article by Jackendoff who that the subject of the "rising temperature" construction is intensional.

1996

ca. 40 Wörterbuchartikel zu Semantik und Pragmatik, in G. Strube et al. (Hrsg.), Wörterbuch der Kognitionswissenschaft, Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta.

1990

Sebastian Löbner: Review article
E. L. Keenan, L. M. Faltz: "Boolean Semantics for Natural Language''
Linguistics 28: 517-530.

1987

Sebastian Löbner: Review
Harry C. Bunt: "Mass terms and model-theoretic semantics''.
Studies in Language 11.2: 491-500.

1987

Sebastian Löbner: Rezension von
Wolfgang Hadamitzky: "Kanji und Kana''
Studies in Language 11.1: 247-252.