Making reference to categories through heterogeneity: the use of iroiro and samazama ‘various’ in Japanese

The aim of this paper is to investigate the use of Japanese adjectives iroiro and samazama whenever they are added to category labels, with the aim of making reference to conceptual categories. In real-life interactions, when speakers want to designate specific contextually relevant categories, they can use a wide range of linguistic strategies, from constructions that rely on the mention of category members (i.e. exemplification), to the creation of complex ad hoc labels. On the contrary, the designation of broader superordinate categories seems less straightforward and is made even more complex by inferential processes like lexical narrowing that favor more contextually dependent interpretation. In this regard, we will argue that the use of adjectives like iroiro and samazama (‘various’) that explicitly stress numerosity and heterogeneity is frequently exploited by speakers to stop contextual inferences, guiding the hearer to construe broader superordinate categories. In particular, we identify heterogeneity as the semantic component that triggers broadening inferences, discussing its role in categorization processes. Finally, we will also argue that the use of adjectives stressing numerosity can be used by speakers to further emphasize the non-exhaustivity of a given linguistic construction, facilitating the construal of reference to conceptual categories.