Pragmatic and grammatical factors affecting the interpretation of number terms

Abstract

There is a great deal of discussion in the specialized literature around the meaning and interpretation of the so-called number terms. It has been established that these terms can denote sets of exact cardinalities, as well as sets compatible with “at least” and “at most” cardinalities (intervalar readings). We present evidence from an experimental study showing that exact readings of number terms under certain grammatical constructions (with a quantifier or predicative function as well as when preceded by a definite article) are preferred by speakers even under certain pragmatic contexts in which intervalar readings could be derived. Our results align with the so-called naïve perspective of the exact semantics of number terms, but also with the fact that both the grammatical structure as well as the pragmatic context play an important role in the interpretations that they can acquire (exactly, at least, at most).