Abstract Speakers routinely employ world knowledge to draw scalar implicatures in numerals. For instance, in the context of ‘an exceptionally hot summer’, speakers will use their knowledge of average summer temperatures and record temperatures to construct a range of potential values. However, it is not clear how they do so when they do not have strong expectations or context is less informative. 1270 adult American English native speakers were shown short dialogues and stories containing numerals modified by ‘more than’ and ‘fewer than,’ and were asked to estimate the range of potential values and to name the potential value they thought was most likely. Results show the most likely value follows a Weber fraction relative to the numeral’s order of magnitude and preferences for certain boundaries of the range shift according to a similar Weber fraction. The similarity between the Weber fractions found and the acuity of the approximate number system (ANS) suggests that the ANS bootstraps scalar implicature in comparatively modified numerals whenever context is not informative enough to refine experiential beliefs about the range and likelihood of potential values. Contrary to previous findings, roundness of the modified numeral does not play a crucial role.

中文翻译：

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相对修改的数字的标量界限和期望值

摘要 演讲者经常使用世界知识来绘制数字中的标量含义。例如，在“异常炎热的夏天”的背景下，演讲者将利用他们对夏季平均温度和记录温度的了解来构建一系列潜在值。然而，当他们没有强烈的期望或背景信息较少时，他们如何做到这一点尚不清楚。向 1270 名以美国英语为母语的成人展示了包含由“大于”和“小于”修饰的数字的简短对话和故事，并被要求估计潜在值的范围并命名他们认为最有可能的潜在值。结果显示，最可能的值遵循相对于数字数量级的韦伯分数，以及根据相似的韦伯分数对范围偏移的某些边界的偏好。发现的韦伯分数与近似数系统 (ANS) 的敏锐度之间的相似性表明，只要上下文信息不足以完善关于潜在值的范围和可能性的经验信念，ANS 就会在相对修改的数字中引导标量含义。与之前的发现相反，修改后的数字的圆度没有起到关键作用。发现的韦伯分数与近似数系统 (ANS) 的敏锐度之间的相似性表明，只要上下文信息不足以完善关于潜在值的范围和可能性的经验信念，ANS 就会在相对修改的数字中引导标量含义。与之前的发现相反，修改后的数字的圆度没有起到关键作用。发现的韦伯分数与近似数系统 (ANS) 的敏锐度之间的相似性表明，只要上下文信息不足以完善关于潜在值的范围和可能性的经验信念，ANS 就会在相对修改的数字中引导标量含义。与之前的发现相反，修改后的数字的圆度没有起到关键作用。