Original version
A Festschrift for Kjell Johan Sæbø: In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Celebration of his 50th Birthday. 2006, 75-90
Abstract
The distribution of bare singulars in Norwegian was thoroughly examined in Borthen (2003). The present paper outlines an account of these data in a type-logical semantics of the Neo-Carlsonian kind. The focus is primarily on the syntax-semantics interface, which here, somewhat simplified, amounts to assigning semantic types in the appropriate sortal domain to bare singulars. I argue that bare singulars can have their denotation both in the domain of ordinary individuals and kinds. Furthermore, they can either be used with their property type or function as names. This explains why bare singulars can be both predicates and arguments. Concerning bare singulars in the direct object position, the phenomenon of incorporation also seems to play a role. The various restrictions on the use of bare singulars can basically be accounted for in terms of competition with more marked grammatical forms, notably (in)definite DPs.