Open AccessEpistemic numbers
Author(s) -
Jon Ander Mendia
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
proceedings from semantics and linguistic theory
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2163-5951
pISSN - 2163-5943
DOI - 10.3765/salt.v28i0.4433
Subject(s) - vagueness , ignorance , numeral system , interpretation (philosophy) , epistemology , linguistics , mathematics , computer science , philosophy , artificial intelligence , fuzzy logic
Epistemic numbers are syntactically complex numbers formed by some combination of number and (non-numerical) indefinite expressions that convey uncertainty, vagueness or ignorance. I examine these constructions in a number of languages and provide an analysis that capitalizes on independently motivated properties of their two sub-components: epistemic indefinites and complex numerals. I argue that variability in these two components explain the cross-linguistics variability in the nature and interpretation of epistemic numbers across languages.