From July 29-31, 2026, Carolin Reinert attended the 36th Semantics and Linguistic Theory (SALT) conference at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she presented a joint poster with her co-author Carla Spellerberg (University of Massachusetts Amherst).
The poster, entitled “Telling World Knowledge and Linguistic Knowledge Apart: Experimental Evidence for a Meaning-Based Perspective on Nominal Event Arguments”, presented new experimental evidence on how lexical meaning and world knowledge interact in the interpretation of adjective-noun combinations. Combining theoretical semantics with psycholinguistic experimentation, the project investigates which nouns encode typical activities as part of their linguistic meaning. The results of a maze experiment support a meaning-based account according to which both deverbal and certain non-deverbal nouns are associated with event arguments, contributing to our understanding of how linguistic knowledge differs from general conceptual knowledge.
The conference offered an inspiring environment for scientific exchange, with talks and poster sessions covering a wide range of topics in formal semantics. Presenting the poster sparked engaging discussions with researchers from different theoretical backgrounds, providing valuable feedback and new perspectives for the ongoing development of the project. Beyond the scientific program, the conference also provided opportunities to experience the local culture. The conference dinner featured live tango music and dancing, offering participants a memorable evening and a chance to continue conversations with colleagues in a uniquely Argentine setting.
Overall, SALT 36 was an excellent opportunity to present ongoing research, strengthen international connections within the semantics community, and gain fresh inspiration for future work.