@inproceedings{a784ffe5e1a14c08a5da626d5d5d7652,
title = "On the Interpretation of Numerals in Mandarin: A Closer Look at the Effects of Modals",
abstract = "“Exactly n”, “at least n” and “at most n” are three interpretations that will be derived when reading numerals in context. Testifying the previous claims [7, 9], this study aims to reveal how the interpretation of numerals is influenced by co-occurring modals through empirical study. Our preliminary results indicate that the universal modal bixu (be required to) triggers listeners{\textquoteright} preferences for “at least n” reading, while the existential modal keyi (be allowed to) gives rise to “at most n”. Furthermore, based on the results of the self-paced reading task, the processing of interpreting numerals aligns more closely with the claims of the grammatical theory (cf. Chierchia et al. [7]; Spector [13]) than with the theory proposed by Kennedy [9]. This finding implies that the two-sided bounded interpretation of numerals is derived through the pragmatic mechanism—scalar implicature.",
keywords = "grammatical theory, modal, numeral, scalar implicature",
author = "Chang, {Wei Chen} and Hsiao, {Huichen S.}",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.; 25th Workshop on Chinese Lexical Semantics, CLSW 2024 ; Conference date: 31-05-2024 Through 02-06-2024",
year = "2025",
doi = "10.1007/978-981-96-3509-2_30",
language = "English",
isbn = "9789819635085",
series = "Lecture Notes in Computer Science",
publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH",
pages = "416--426",
editor = "Peng Jin and Qi Su and Jia-Fei Hong",
booktitle = "Chinese Lexical Semantics - 25th Workshop, CLSW 2024, Revised Selected Papers",
}