Yimei Xiang ∙ 向伊梅

My name is Yimei Xiang (向伊梅), pronounced as [i: mɛɪ, ɕiɑŋ].
I’m an Assistant Professor at Rutgers Linguistics, specialized in formal semantics, syntax-semantics interface, philosophy and language, and Chinese & East Asian linguistics. I study how meanings are drawn from complex structures, and how logic is manifested in human languages. I completed Ph.D. in Linguistics at Harvard Univ. in 2016 and B.A. in Chinese at Peking Univ. in 2010.
My current research program focuses on the following topics:
- questions with complex structures;
- questions under attitudes;
- higher-order readings and mention-some readings of questions;
- polarity items and free choice items;
- multi-functional words in East Asian languages;
- compositionality (categorial, variable-free) and binding
CV (updated to October 2021)
Email: yimei.xiang AT rutgers.edu

Fall 2021
- I will be on sabbatical in Fall 2021. Please contact me by email.
- Invited talk (virtual). TBD. New York Philosophy of Language Workshop. November 9.

Papers in print/ accepted (since 2019)
- Xiang, Y. Forthcoming. Binding without variable: Solving the under-generation problems. Proceedings of SALT 31. (OSF page) (Paper)
- Xiang, Y. 2021. Higher-order readings of wh-questions. Natural Language Semantics 29: 1-45. DOI: 10.1007/s11050-020-09166-8 (Free access link; Lingbuzz link)
- Xiang, Y. 2021. A hybrid categorial approach to question composition. Linguistics and Philosophy 44:587–647. DOI: 10.1007/s10988-020-09294-8 (Free access link; Lingbuzz link)
- Xiang, Y. 2020. Function alternations of the Mandarin particle dou: Distributor, free choice licensor, and ‘even’. Journal of Semantics 37(2): 171-217. DOI: 10.1093/jos/ffz018 (Link for free-access, Lingbuzz link)
- Xiang, Y. 2019. Two types of higher-order readings of wh-questions. Proceedings of the 22nd Amsterdam Colloquium. 417-426.
- Xiang, Y. 2019. Getting quantifying-into questions uniformly: Functionality, domain exhaustivity, and quantificational variability. Proceedings of SALT 29: 160-179.

Papers under review
- Xiang, Y. Resubmitted. Quantifying into wh-dependencies: Multiple-wh questions and questions with quantifiers. Latest version: 04/26/2021. Resubmitted to Linguistics and Philosophy.
- Xiang, Y. Under revision. Relativized Exhaustivity: Mention-Some and Uniqueness. Latest version: 10/17/2021 (significantly shortened). Under revision for Natural Language Semantics.