SFB 1646

B05: Open Texture as a Source of Semantic Creativity

Project B05 investigates the phenomenon of open texture and its role in the emergence of linguistic creativity, in preparation for empirical testing. A predicate is said to be open textured if it is objectively indeterminate whether it applies to certain objects beyond its standard domain of application. Consider e.g. the application of ‘sandwich’ to burritos, of ‘money’ to bitcoin, of ‘number’ to quaternions, of ‘doll’ to action figures, or of ‘athlete’ to racehorses. 

We hold two working hypotheses. First, open texture marks a powerful and distinct explanatory category. Open texture will prove to be different from well-explored linguistic phenomena such as context dependence, penumbral vagueness, semantic indecision, semantic externalism, application extension (specifically metaphorical extension, meaning transfer, and loose use), and metalinguistic negotiation. Second, open texture grounds an exciting and specific form of linguistic creativity. Open texture builds a specific capacity for creative language use right into the conventionalised language system.