type shifting

In TYPE-theoretic approaches to SEMANTICS, a RULE which applies to EXPRESSIONS of a given kind, assigning them derived DENOTATIONS of a different kind. Type-shifting rules which assign derived denotations of relatively complex types, based on denotations of simpler types, are known as type-raising rules. Rules which assign derived denotations of relatively simple types, based on denotations of more complex types, are known as type-lowering rules. In categorial grammar, analogous rules of category shifting are used to assign derived syntactic categories.