In
formal semantics, a
predicate is quantized if it being true of an entity requires that it is not true of any proper subparts of that entity. For example, if something is an "apple", then no proper subpart of that thing is an "apple". If something is "water", then many of its subparts will also be "water". Hence, the predicate "apple" is quantized, while "water" is not.[1][2]
Quantization was first proposed by
Manfred Krifka as part of his
mereological approach to the semantics of nominals. It has since been applied to other phenomena such as
telicity.
^
abKrifka, Manfred (1989). "Nominal reference, temporal constitution, and quantification in event semantics". In Bartsch, Renate; van Benthem, Johan; van Emde Boas, Peter (eds.). Semantics and Contextual Expressions. Foris. pp. 75–115.