Workshops
In addition to the general programme, the 24th Amsterdam Colloquium will feature two workshops: one on Dynamic and Inquisitive: Themes from the Work of Jeroen Groenendijk and one on Identifying and Explaining Universals of Semantics.
Identifying and Explaining Universals of Semantics
- Wataru Uegaki (Edinburgh)
This workshop aims at exploring semantic universals—commonalities in meaning that persist across languages. The event will feature cutting-edge research aimed at identifying and explaining these universals through cross-linguistic analysis, with a focus on modality, quantification, negation, and temporal structures. By examining linguistic data from a diverse range of languages, the workshop will offer insights into the fundamental principles governing human language.
Participants will explore how these universal patterns inform our understanding of language acquisition, processing, and the limits of linguistic variation. The event aims to foster collaboration and discussion, bridging gaps between theoretical linguistics, typology, and cognitive science.
Dynamic and Inquisitive: Themes from the Work of Jeroen Groenendijk
- Ivano Ciardelli (Padova)
Jeroen Groenendijk was a prominent figure in the fields of linguistics, logic, and philosophy, particularly known for his work in semantics and pragmatics. Throughout his work, often in collaboration with Martin Stokhof, Groenendijk explored various research projects, applying logical methods to the semantics and pragmatics of natural language. Their "partition theory of questions" and joint dissertation on this topic became highly influential.
In the mid-1980s, Groenendijk contributed to the development of dynamic predicate logic, which had a lasting impact. Later, Groenendijk’s interest in the exchange of information led to the creation of "inquisitive semantics," a novel approach to semantic theory that he developed with Floris Roelofsen and Ivano Ciardelli. In addition to his research, Groenendijk played a key role in organizing scientific events like the Amsterdam Colloquium and contributed to large-scale collaborative projects.
This workshop is an opportunity to share new research on topics that have been impacted by Jeroen's work, in particular research on questions, dynamic semantics, reference and modality.