Elizabeth Coppock

Elizabeth Coppock is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at Boston University, specializing in semantics and pragmatics. She holds a B.A. from Northwestern University (2002) and a Ph.D. from Stanford University (2009), and became a Docent in Linguistics at the University of Gothenburg (2013). Her research focuses on small-word semantics, distributivity, definiteness, and cross-linguistic analysis. Recent work explores metrology's influence on semantic foundations and the interface between formal semantics and cognitive science.

Her research interests include: (1) formal semantics of quantifiers and comparatives, (2) definiteness across languages, (3) experimental semantics/pragmatics, and (4) interdisciplinary applications of semantic theory. Notable contributions include analyses of Hungarian object agreement, Mandinka distributivity, and the cognitive basis of scalar implicature.

Key publications address topics like the Square of Litigation for statutory interpretation, ratio semantics in 'per', and universals in superlative constructions. She frequently collaborates with psychologists and legal scholars, bridging theoretical linguistics with applied domains. Awards include the Docent title and multiple conference keynote invitations (e.g., Amsterdam Colloquium 2024).

Her work often involves experimental methodologies (e.g., reference resolution tasks, production/comprehension experiments) and cross-linguistic fieldwork in languages like Turoyo, Navajo, and Akan. Coppock advocates for foundational semantic frameworks that integrate metrological quantity calculus and explores how semantic analysis can impact legal interpretation and AI language models.