The expression ofexhaustivity and scalarityin Burmese
Keely New and Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine (mitcho)
National University of Singapore

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Colloquial Burmese m̥a appears to have two uses:(1)

Exhaustive m̥a (cleft):
Aung-gɑ ye-ko-m̥aθɑuʔ-kɛ-dɛ.
Aung-NOM water-ACC-MA
drink-PAST-REAL‘It’s WATER that Aung drank.’

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Colloquial Burmese m̥a appears to have two uses:(1)

Exhaustive m̥a (cleft):
Aung-gɑ ye-ko-m̥aθɑuʔ-kɛ-dɛ.
Aung-NOM water-ACC-MA
drink-PAST-REAL‘It’s WATER that Aung drank.’(2)

Scalar m̥a (‘even’-like):
Aung-gɑ ye-ko-m̥amə-θɑuʔ-kɛ-dɑr.
Aung-NOM water-ACC-MA NEG-drink-PAST-DAR≈ ‘Aung didn’t even drink WATER.’

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine• John Okell’s 1969 reference grammar says there are two m̥ɑ:with no description of their distribution.

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine• John Okell’s 1969 reference grammar says there are two m̥ɑ:with no description of their distribution.
• We show that the scalar reading requires the combination oflocal negation and sentence-final –dar.

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

Proposal• m̥ɑC(p)(w*) introduces the not-at-issue content:∀q∊C [q <likely p → ¬q(w*)]“All less likely alternatives are false.”
At-issue meaning is unaffected.
(≈ Velleman et al 2012’s semantics for English it clefts.)

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

Proposal• m̥ɑC(p)(w*) introduces the not-at-issue content:∀q∊C [q <likely p → ¬q(w*)]“All less likely alternatives are false.”
At-issue meaning is unaffected.
(≈ Velleman et al 2012’s semantics for English it clefts.)• C includes conjunctive alternatives

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aAung drank water

Aung drank beer

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aAung drank water

Aung drank beer

Aung drank water and beer

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aAung drank water>>

likelyAung drank beer
likelyAung drank water and beer

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aAung drank water

Aung drank beer>>

likely>likely

likelyAung drank water and beer

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aprejacentAung drank water

Aung drank beer>>

likely>likely

likelyAung drank water and beer

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aprejacent

Aung drank water>likely>>

likelyAung drank beer
likelyAung drank water and beerm̥ɑC(p) ⤳ ¬beer ∧ ¬(water ∧ beer)

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aprejacent

Aung drank water>likely>>

likelyAung drank beer
likelyAung drank water and beerm̥ɑC(p) ⤳ ¬beer ∧ ¬(water ∧ beer)
Together with p = water, ⇒ ¬beer
Exhaustive: ‘It’s water that Aung drank.’ = (1)New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aprejacent

Aung drank waterAung drank beer>>

likely>likely

likelyAung drank water and beer

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aprejacent

Aung drank water

Aung drank beer>>

likely>likely

likelyAung drank water and beerm̥ɑC(p) ⤳ ¬(water ∧ beer)

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

Exhaustive m̥aprejacentAung drank water>likely>>

likelyAung drank beer
likelyAung drank water and beerm̥ɑC(p) ⤳ ¬(water ∧ beer)
Together with p = beer, ⇒ ¬water
Exhaustive: ‘It’s beer that Aung drank.’

New & Erlewine

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

LF:m̥a under negation

NEG
P

prejacentAung drank water

Aung drank beer>>

likely>likelym̥ɑClikelyAung drank water and beer

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

LF:m̥a under negation

NEG
P

prejacentAung drank water>likely

Aung drank beer>>

likelylikelyAung drank water and beerNEG(m̥ɑC(p)) at-issue: ¬waterm̥ɑC

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

LF:m̥a under negation

NEGP

prejacentAung drank water>likely

Aung drank beer>>

likelylikelyAung drank water and beerNEG(m̥ɑC(p)) at-issue: ¬waterm̥ɑC(p) ⤳ ¬beer ∧ ¬(water ∧ beer)
Together, ⇒ ¬beerm̥ɑC

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

LF:m̥a under negation

NEGP

prejacentAung drank water>likely

Aung drank beer>>

likelylikelyAung drank water and beerNEG(m̥ɑC(p)) at-issue: ¬waterm̥ɑC(p) ⤳ ¬beer ∧ ¬(water ∧ beer)
Together, ⇒ ¬beerm̥ɑC

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

LF:m̥a under negation

NEG
prejacentAung drank waterm̥ɑC

Aung drank beer>>

likely>likelyP

likelyAung drank water and beer

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

LF:m̥a under negation

NEG
prejacentAung drank water>likely

likelyAung drank water and beerNEG(m̥ɑC(p)) at-issue: ¬beerm̥ɑC

Aung drank beer>>

likelyP

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

LF:m̥a under negationNEG
prejacentAung drank water>likely

likelyAung drank water and beerNEG(m̥ɑC(p)) at-issue: ¬beerm̥ɑC(p) ⤳ ¬(water ∧ beer)m̥ɑC

Aung drank beer>>

likelyP

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

LF:m̥a under negation

NEG
prejacentAung drank water>likelym̥ɑC

Aung drank beer>>

likelyP

likelyAung drank water and beerNEG(m̥ɑC(p)) at-issue: ¬beerm̥ɑC(p) ⤳ ¬(water ∧ beer)Here, m̥ɑC contributes nothing!
Therefore ungrammatical by Non-Vacuity (Črnic 2011)

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

Upshot• m̥ɑ references likelihood, but does not express that theprejacent is low or high on the scale (cf. even).

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

Upshot• m̥ɑ references likelihood, but does not express that theprejacent is low or high on the scale (cf. even).
• Nonetheless, under negation, the use of m̥ɑ requires that
there are less likely alternatives and that they are false.

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

Upshot• m̥ɑ references likelihood, but does not express that theprejacent is low or high on the scale (cf. even).
• Nonetheless, under negation, the use of m̥ɑ requires that
there are less likely alternatives and that they are false.
• With wide scope, m̥ɑ is always grammatical as anexhaustive.

The expression of exhaustivity and scalarity in Burmese

New & Erlewine

At the poster• The function of sentence-final –dar
• Wh-m̥ɑ NPIs:(3)

ŋɑ bɛ-pɑnθi-ko-m̥ɑ1which-apple-ACC-MA NEG-take-PAST-NEG‘I didn’t take any apple(s).’• Snacks from SingaporeThank you!

mə-yu-kɛ-bu.