First workshop on
Modality and Quantification in Natural Languages
One-day satellite workshop of Principia (July 29, 2025)
UFSC, Florianópolis
Santa Catarina, Brazil
LOGIC AND LINGUISTICS, TOGETHER
Overview
The first workshop on Modality and Quantification in Natural Languages invites researchers working at the intersection of Linguistics and Logic to examine how modality, quantification, or related phenomena—such as genericity and free choiceness, among others— manifest themselves in natural languages. Drawing on models from both classical and non-classical logics, we intend to discuss how formal frameworks can shed light on complex syntactic and semantic phenomena. In doing so, we acknowledge a two-way relationship between logic and linguistics—both are intrinsically tied to diverse inferential processes, such as entailments, implicatures, and presuppositions, which underpin human communication and reasoning. By highlighting these connections, we aim to spark dialogue on the opportunities and constraints of applying logical tools to the analysis of natural language.
Our workshop also embraces the interdependence of empirical inquiry and rigorous theory by seeking formal descriptions that align with contemporary linguistic research and philosophical perspectives on logical systems. We welcome papers that address the theoretical and methodological challenges at this interface and that might also consider implications for pedagogy, computational modeling, and the development of educational resources. Our aim is to gather deeper cross-linguistic insights into the diverse functions and meanings of natural language. We invite speakers that have a genuine interest in advancing our understanding of Linguistics & Logic, contributing to a vibrant, interdisciplinary discussion.
Invited speakers
Marcelo Ferreira (USP)
Shifting conversational backgrounds: the case of Portuguese necessity modals
Roberta Pires de Oliveira (UFSC)
Modals in Natural Language: the case of ordering semantics
João Marcos (UFSC)
Debater
Call for papers
Abstract Submission Guidelines:
- 300-500 words per abstract
- Abstracts may be written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese
Presentation Details:
- Presentation Format: each presentation will last 30 minutes, including a 10-minute Q&A session
Important Deadlines:
- Abstract Submission Deadline: April 7, 2025
- Notification of Acceptance: April 15, 2025
Submit your abstract via this Google Forms link.
We look forward to your contributions and to an exchange of ideas that advances our understanding of the relationships between language and logic.
Schedule
| 8h30 – 9h30 Marcelo Ferreira (USP) | Shifting conversational backgrounds: the case of Portuguese necessity modals |
| 9h30 – 10h Luiz Fernando Ferreira (UFRR) | Aspectos sintáticos e semânticos do verbo modal ‘ameaçar’ |
| 10h – 10h30 | Coffee Break |
| 10h30 – 11h Helena Guerra-Vicente (UnB) | A proposal for phonetic-acoustic research of occurrences of Petei “one” as a numeral and as an indefineteness marker: a case study of Kaiowá |
| 11h – 11h30 Hana Cristina Klos (UFSC) | Modalidade na Libras |
| 11h30 – 12h Luiz Fernando Ferreira (UFRR) | Parecia que era epistêmico: uma análise semântica do verbo ‘parecer‘ |
| 14h – 15h Roberta Pires de Oliveira (UFSC) | Modals in Natural Languages: the case of Ordering Semantics |
| 15h – 15h30 Carlos Mario Márquez Sosa (UFABC) | Um framework semântico para contrastar expressões modais |
Organizer
Uiara Nunes (PPGL/UFSC)
Support
This event is made possible by the support of PPGL (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Linguística – UFSC).