The distributive operator ge and some related issues

This paper investigates the semantics of the adverbial ge based on Lin (1998). Although we agree with Lin that ge should be treated as a distributor, our analysis is different from his in the following aspects. First, the pairing function is from the sorting key to the whole distributive share not just to the quantity indicated by the distributive share. Second, neither the indefinite (semi)object requirement nor the extensionality restriction is necessary for ge-sentences. We argue that there should be an existentially bound indefinite NP to help realize the pairing function. Moreover, ge requires the sorting key to denote an non-empty set with a cardinality larger than 1, no matter whether it is intensional or extensional. Third, the basic structure of a ge-sentence is that ge appears between the sorting key and the distributive share at some point in the derivation.