The Semantics of Implicitly Relational Predicates

Abstract

This thesis offers a semantic account of implicitly relational predicates — adjectival or nominal predicates such as to be popular and to be a wanted man. Implicitly relational predicates are characterized by unique entailment properties when combined with locatives (and other PPs headed by words like with and among). It is argued that implicitly relational predicates take PPs as arguments via functional application, rather than as adjuncts via predicate modification, and a formal account of that interaction is presented.