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Infinitive Perfect and Backward Causation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2008

Kjell Johan Sæbø
Kjell Johan Sæbø
Affiliation:
Germanistisk institut vd. A, Universitetet i Oslo, Blindern, Oslo 3
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Abstract

The present paper represents an attempt to explain the semantically deviant nature of causative constructions with present perfect effect sentences. As far as I known, such constructions have not been commented upon in the literature on causativity. I show that any counterfactual analysis of the traditional sort will bring them out as synthetic sentences, provided they are syntactically well-formed. On the other hand, if the notion os counterfactural dependence is re-interpreted along the lines of branching possible worlds, they can be shown to be systematically contradictory. I discuss the various revisions of the truth conditions for tensed formulae and of the general semantic framework which are necessary to accomplish this.

Type
Research Article
Information
Nordic Journal of Linguistics , Volume 3 , Issue 2 , December 1980 , pp. 161 - 173
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

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References

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