One central task for any theory of grammar is to solve the so-called “linking problem”: the problem of discovering regularities in how the participants of an event are expressed in surface grammatical forms and explaining those regularities. Suppose that one adopts a broadly Chomskyan perspective, in which there is a distinction between the language faculty and other cognitive faculties, includ...

base verb SCHIESSEN and a basic configuration, these rules profile further segments, until the entire causal chain (14) is profiled. Not only prefix derivation, but also zero-derivation occurs in this process (cf. Copestake / Briscoe, 1996:16, 18). In (24) the verb profile of configuration 3 is shifted to the right: (24) Das Gewehr schießt. [The rifle shoots.] We have seen that profiling bears ...

vs. concrete nouns). As an example of a classification into multiple categories, word tokens might be classified into syntactic categories such as noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc., with an “other” class for minor syntactic categories and problematic tokens. A chi-squared test might then be performed to compare the frequencies of these categories in samples from two genres. As another example...

Since Chomsky & Miller (1963) and Chomsky (1965), linguists have recognized that a grammatical sentence can be deemed as unacceptable for many extra-grammatical reasons, including memory limitations, context, and stylistic factors. More recently, evidence is mounting that sentences of moderate or even low acceptability can become more acceptable with repeated exposure (Hiramatsu, 1999; Snyder, ...

This paper examines computational issues in the processing of SOV languages in the probe-goal framework, a theory in the Minimalist Program (MP). A generative theory that seeks to minimize search, such as the probe-goal model, provides a strong linguistic basis for the investigation of efficient parsing architecture. For parsing, two main design challenges present themselves: (1) how to limit s...

This paper reviews recent research on representation of events in human languages. We consider empirical evidence for event-structural analysis of language comprehension and production in spoken and signed languages, as well as possible biological bases for it. Finally, theoretical linguistic models, models of language processing, and cognitive architectures, which account for such event-struct...

This paper examines the interaction of semantic factors of reflexivity in the availability of result type te-ir and te-ar constructions in Japanese. The semantic factors of reflexivity have been examined in a number of studies, and they are known to be of relevance to the te-ir construction of result interpretation as well as to the availability of the te-ar construction. It has not been made e...

Many languages exhibit a construction which has a meaning akin to “x feels like Ving”, often called a desiderative. This form has been observed in the literature for languages and language families as diverse as Quechua languages (Cusihuaman, 2001, Cole,1981), South Slavic languages (Murasic, 2006, Rivero, 2004, Franks:1995), Albanian (Kallulli, 1999) and Finnish (Pylkkänen, 1999). In Albanian,...

In this paper, we examine the behaviour of so-called passive and middle aorist forms in Greek reflected Genesis Septuagint. The Septuagint, Biblical more generally, displays a considerable aberration with respect to other varieties Ancient regarding relative frequency vis-à-vis forms. Here, explore feature Septuagint some detail, showing that there is or less consistent, binary system at stage,...

In Combinatory Categnrial Grammar (CCG) [Ste90, Ste91], semantic function-argument structures are compositionally produced through the course of a derivation. These s tructures identify, inter alia, which entities play the same roles in different events for expressions involving a wide range of coordinate constructs. This sameness of role (i.e. ~hematie) information is not identified, however, ...