Semantics: Handout 1
Course Description
Yılmaz Kılıçaslan
October 01, 2009
Prerequisites
Background knowledge on phrase-structure syntax and set theory.
Objectives
The course in Formal Semantics has two main objectives:
1.
to get acquainted with the basic ideas and principles of natural language semantics; and
2.
to get depth of understanding in formal semantic theories such as Montague
Semantics.
Syllabus
The course begins with a broad overview of fundamental ideas and concepts of semantics. We go on to establish a logical framework, before turning our attention to the theories of semantics. We cover:

Introduction to fundamentals of natural language semantics

Truth-conditional approach to semantics

The notion of truth relative to a model

Possible worlds in semantics

Propositional logic

First-order predicate logic

Higher-order type-theoretic languages

Tense and modal operators
 Montague’s intensional logic
 Montague’s semantics (Proper Treatment of Quantification)

Situation semantics

Connecting Syntax and Semantics
Schedule
The contents of lectures are scheduled as shown in the following table:

WEEK
1
2
3
10
11
12
7
8
9
4
5
6
TOPIC
Introduction
Propositional Logic
Analysis of propositions into predicates and constituents
First-Order Predicate Logic
Higher-order type-theoretic languages
Tense and modal operators
Montague’s intensional logic
Proper Treatment of Quantification (Montague’s Semantics)
Proper Treatment of Quantification (Montague’s Semantics) (Cont.)
Situation Semantics
Situation Semantics (Cont.)
Discussion
Intellectual Skills Development
Obviously, the topics we will primarily cover in the course do not constitute the whole field of semantics. Thus, students are encouraged to develop a broader view on the semantics of natural languages by doing reading in other areas relevant to semantics. Part of this reading activity will be oriented by assignments.
Activities
The course consists of four hours lectures each week. Special sessions will be devoted at relevant points during the course to student-centered activities such as presentations. Below are some (possible) topics of presentation:
Theories of Truth (e.g. Correspondence Theory), Paraconsistent Logic, Eco-Logic,
Fuzzy Logic, Dynamic Predicate Logic, Lexical Semantics, Cognitive Semantics,
File Change Semantics, Discourse Representation Theory (DRT),
Semantics of Focus, Subject-Predicate Relations
Study Materials
There is no set text for the course. Handouts and relevant papers will be made available via the web.
Also, Gamut (1991) and Dowty et al (1981) are suitable textbooks as an introduction to logic and Montague semantics, respectively.
References
Dowty D. R., Wall R. E. and Peters S. (1981) Introduction to Montague Semantics.
Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Gamut, L.T.F. (1991) Introduction to Logic: Logic, Language, and Meaning (Volume 1).
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.