Choice functions and scope of existential polarity wh-phrases in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract

A recent popular analysis of English indefinites is that they involve a choice function mechanism in their semantic interpretation. However, there are diversified views regarding how intermediate scope readings should be dealt with and which level(s) existential closure should apply to. This paper attempts to make a contribution to this debate by examining existential polarity wh-phrases in Chinese. I show that unlike the behaviors of polarity indefinites in Statimcets reported by Matthewson (1999), intermediate scope readings are possible for polarity wh-phrases in Chinese but are subject to some locality conditions. I suggest that implicit arguments of choice functions might have a parametric value the choice of which affects availability of intermediate readings. The findings in this paper thus revive the possibility, rejected by Matthewson (1999), that the choice function mechanism may vary from language to language or from indefinite NPs in one language to indefinite NPs in another language or even from one type of indefinite NP to another type of indefinite NP within the same language.