Towards a Formalization of the Semantics of Some Temporal Prepositions

Abstract

Many prepositions can be used to convey temporal information relevant to the period of a proposition. Three types of information are identified: the duration of the proposition (floating), its duration relative to the time of reference of the discourse and its absolute location on the time axis. Some prepositions can be used in all three manners, others in only one; rules are given for determining in which manner the former are being used in any given sentence. Within each manner, there are several different possible uses to which temporal prepositions are put. These uses distinguish between existential and universal quantification over time, indicate whether or not the extremes of the period are to be included and mark for motion through time. To capture these a semantics for the 9 temporal prepositions indicating periods is provided using the first-order predicate calculus. An explanation is proffered for why some of these uses can be filled by two prepositions.