The Morphology-Based Semantics of “any” in English and Korean

Abstract

This paper addresses the question why polarity sensitive (PS) any and its Korean counterpart amwu _ to have quite different distributions, but free choice (FC) any and its Korean counterpart amwu _ (i)na have virtually the same distribution. To answer the question, I first characterize any and amwu as an indefinite that induces repeated variables. I then propose that the affix -to widens the domain of quantification in a conjunctive manner, but the affix -(i)na, in a disjunctive manner. Between these two modes of widening, the latter is a default one. English adopts this default mode on both polarity sensitivity and free choice. In addition, I put forth two types of closure that terminate repetition of variables: closure towards the upper limit and closure towards the lower limit. The former involves universal quantification triggered inherently or conversationally, but the latter, existential quantification under negation. A statement with amwu _ to reflects the conjunctive widening with closure towards the upper limit, while a statement with PS any, the disjunctive widening with closure towards the lower limit. This difference is responsible for the distributional differences between these two items. A statement with FC any or amwu _ (i)na reflects the same disjunctive widening with the same closure towards the upper limit. It follows from this that these two items have basically the same distribution. Finally, I attempt to explain the generic reading of these two items in terms of a conversational account on which the closure involved with the disjunctive widening in question is triggered conversationally.