Representation of the Montague Semantics as a Form of the Suppes Semantics with Applications to the Problem of the Introduction of the Passive Voice, the Tenses, and Negation as Transformations

Abstract

In this paper we shall represent the Montague (this vol., pp. 221–42) semantics as a homomorphic image of the Suppes (this vol., pp. 370–94) semantics. For this purpose we shall construct a Suppes-type syntax and semantics SMG that will essentially enlarge the Montague semantics M and that will contain passives and allow deletion. SMG will also have the advantage of correlating with each sentence a semantical object that can be taken to be its meaning. This is not possible in M as the semantical object associated with sentences is only a truth function.

This research has been supported in part by the National Sciencc Foundation under grant NSFGJ-443X. I am greatly indebted to F. Goldstein, Julius Moravcsik, Barbara Partee, and P. Suppes for many conversations out of which this paper has evolved.