LF Representation in Scope Ambiguity Between Numeral Quantifier and Negation in Korean

Abstract

This paper reports on an experiment on the interpretation of scope ambiguity with data from adult Korean speakers. The particular area under investigation involves the relation between numeral quantified nouns (floated vs. determinative quantified nouns) and negation (postverbal negation). Twenty eight subjects participated in the experiment using the Truth Value Judgement Task (Crain and Thornton 1998). The main finding is that Korean-speaking adults display a strong preference for negation wide scope (Neg > Two), and that the difference between floated and determinative quantified nouns in terms of scope ambiguity is not statistically meaningful. The results are discussed cross-linguistically, and I suggest several avenues for future research.