Universität Wien

180050 KU Introduction to Formal Semantics (2018W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Da der Termin am 06.12. entfällt, beginnt die Lehrveranstaltung bereits am 04.10.2018.
ACHTUNG!! Der Termin am 17.01.2019 muss leider entfallen!!

  • Thursday 04.10. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 11.10. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 18.10. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 25.10. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 08.11. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 15.11. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 22.11. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 29.11. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 13.12. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 10.01. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 24.01. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Friday 25.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 31.01. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Formal semantics is the study of meaning, using logical-mathematical tools. The main objective of the course is to understand how competent speakers of a natural language such as German and English come to understand the meaning of simple expressions (words, morphemes) or complex expressions (compounds, phrases, sentences) of their language.

In the course we ask: What is meaning? What is truth-conditional semantics? What are the reasons for thinking that there is a compositional semantics for English to be found? We will introduce some of the central concepts of linguistics as well as some basic tools from syntax and set theory, which we will need for the analysis of the meaning of German expressions. The majority of the course will be devoted to investigating the semantic treatment of a variety of expression types in German.

This course is an introduction to the craft of doing formal semantics. We will focus on doing semantics and learning its central techniques. The course will be of interest, and very useful, for students of linguists as well as of philosophy.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- develop an understanding for the project of investigating the meaning of natural-language expressions with formal means
- to master some indispensable tools from set theory and logic
- know the standard analysis of the meaning of some functional expressions in German (such as relative pronouns, (in)definite articles [(in)definite descriptions], quantifiers)
- investigate the meaning of complex German expressions with the tools of truth-conditional semantics

Assessment and permitted materials

There will be 6 graded take-home exercise sheets during the semester and a final exam in class at the end of the semester.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Prior introductory knowledge of formal logic and/or philosophy of language will be very useful, but is not an official requirement.

Your grades on the exercise sheets will count ⅔ and your final exam ⅓ of your final grade.

Examination topics

The final exam will cover all material from the course script and the obligatory readings, which will be announced at the start of the semester.

Reading list

We will use my course script (available at the begin of the term) as well as:

Irene Heim & Angelika Kratzer: Semantics in Generative Grammar. Blackwell, 1998

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:36