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Daniels, Michael W. "Generalized ID/LP grammar a formalism for parsing linearization-Based HPSG grammars /." Connect to resource, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1118867950.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio State University, 2005.<br>Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 173 p.; also includes graphics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 160-171). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center
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Walenski, Matthew S. "Relating parsers and grammars : on the structure and real-time comprehension of English infinitival complements /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3044770.
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Yang, Yongsheng. "A maximum entropy approach to Chinese language parsing /." View Abstract or Full-Text, 2002. http://library.ust.hk/cgi/db/thesis.pl?COMP%202002%20YANG.
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Thesis (M. Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2002.<br>Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-55). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.
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Prost, Jean-Philippe. "Modelling Syntactic Gradience with Loose Constraint-based Parsing." Phd thesis, Université de Provence - Aix-Marseille I, 2008. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00352828.
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La grammaticalité d'une phrase est habituellement conçue comme une notion binaire : une phrase est soit grammaticale, soit agrammaticale. Cependant, bon nombre de travaux se penchent de plus en plus sur l'étude de degrés d'acceptabilité intermédiaires, auxquels le terme de gradience fait parfois référence. À ce jour, la majorité de ces travaux s'est concentrée sur l'étude de l'évaluation humaine de la gradience syntaxique. Cette étude explore la possibilité de construire un modèle robuste qui s'accorde avec ces jugements humains.<br>Nous suggérons d'élargir au langage mal formé les concepts de Gradience Intersective et de Gradience Subsective, proposés par Aarts pour la modélisation de jugements graduels. Selon ce nouveau modèle, le problème que soulève la gradience concerne la classification d'un énoncé dans une catégorie particulière, selon des critères basés sur les caractéristiques syntaxiques de l'énoncé. Nous nous attachons à étendre la notion de Gradience Intersective (GI) afin qu'elle concerne le choix de la meilleure solution parmi un ensemble de candidats, et celle de Gradience Subsective (GS) pour qu'elle concerne le calcul du degré de typicité de cette structure au sein de sa catégorie. La GI est alors modélisée à l'aide d'un critère d'optimalité, tandis que la GS est modélisée par le calcul d'un degré d'acceptabilité grammaticale. Quant aux caractéristiques syntaxiques requises pour permettre de classer un énoncé, notre étude de différents cadres de représentation pour la syntaxe du langage naturel montre qu'elles peuvent aisément être représentées dans un cadre de syntaxe modèle-théorique (Model-Theoretic Syntax). Nous optons pour l'utilisation des Grammaires de Propriétés (GP), qui offrent, précisément, la possibilité de modéliser la caractérisation d'un énoncé. Nous présentons ici une solution entièrement automatisée pour la modélisation de la gradience syntaxique, qui procède de la caractérisation d'une phrase bien ou mal formée, de la génération d'un arbre syntaxique optimal, et du calcul d'un degré d'acceptabilité grammaticale pour l'énoncé.<br>À travers le développement de ce nouveau modèle, la contribution de ce travail comporte trois volets.<br>Premièrement, nous spécifions un système logique pour les GP qui permet la révision de sa formalisation sous l'angle de la théorie des modèles. Il s'attache notamment à formaliser les mécanismes de satisfaction et de relâche de contraintes mis en oeuvre dans les GP, ainsi que la façon dont ils permettent la projection d'une catégorie lors du processus d'analyse. Ce nouveau système introduit la notion de satisfaction relâchée, et une formulation en logique du premier ordre permettant de raisonner au sujet d'un énoncé.<br>Deuxièmement, nous présentons notre implantation du processus d'analyse syntaxique relâchée à base de contraintes (Loose Satisfaction Chart Parsing, ou LSCP), dont nous prouvons qu'elle génère toujours une analyse syntaxique complète et optimale. Cette approche est basée sur une technique de programmation dynamique (dynamic programming), ainsi que sur les mécanismes décrits ci-dessus. Bien que d'une complexité élevée, cette solution algorithmique présente des performances suffisantes pour nous permettre d'expérimenter notre modèle de gradience.<br>Et troisièmement, après avoir postulé que la prédiction de jugements humains d'acceptabilité peut se baser sur des facteurs dérivés de la LSCP, nous présentons un modèle numérique pour l'estimation du degré d'acceptabilité grammaticale d'un énoncé. Nous mesurons une bonne corrélation de ces scores avec des jugements humains d'acceptabilité grammaticale. Qui plus est, notre modèle s'avère obtenir de meilleures performances que celles obtenues par un modèle préexistant que nous utilisons comme référence, et qui, quant à lui, a été expérimenté à l'aide d'analyses syntaxiques générées manuellement.
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Sharp, Randall Martin. "A model of grammar based on principles of government and binding." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/24917.
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This thesis describes an implementation of a model of natural language grammar based on current theories of transformational grammar, collectively referred to as Government and Binding (GB) theory. A description is presented of the principles of GB, including X-bar syntax and the theories of Case, Theta, Binding, Bounding, and Government The principles, in effect, constitute an embodiment of "universal grammar" (UG), i.e. the abstract characterization of the innately endowed human language faculty. Associated with the principles is a set of parameters that alter the effect of the principles. The "core grammar" of a specific language is an instantiation of UG with the parameters set in a particular way. To demonstrate the cross-linguistic nature of the theory, a subset of the "core grammars" of Spanish and English is implemented, including their parametric values and certain language-specific transformations required to characterize grammatical sentences. Sentences in one language are read in and converted through a series of reverse transformations to a base representation in the target language. To this representation, transformations are applied that produce a set of output sentences. The well-formedness of these sentences is verified by the general principles of UG as controlled by the parameters. Any that fail to meet the conditions are rejected so that only grammatical sentences are displayed. The model is written in the Prolog programming language.<br>Science, Faculty of<br>Computer Science, Department of<br>Graduate
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Grindlay, Benjamin James William. "Missing the point : the effect of punctuation on reading performance." Title page, abstract and contents only, 2002. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phg866.pdf.
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Altmann, Gerald T. M. "Reference and the resolution of local syntactic ambiguity : the effect of context during human sentence processing." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/6672.
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In this thesis we shall investigate the kinds of information which the Human Sentence Processing Mechanism employs during the resolution of local syntactic ambiguity in written texts. The thesis is in three parts. In Part I we consider some current models of syntactic ambiguity resolution. On the one hand, we consider the structural approaches, in which the processor considers only syntactic information when choosing between alternatives. On the other, we consider the interactive approaches, in which different kinds of information are brought to bear during the resolution process. In Part II, we describe a number of experiments which contrast the predictions of these two approaches. In particular, we investigate the processing of sentences which are locally ambiguous between a simple noun phrase analysis and a complex noun phrase analysis. Frazier (1979) predicts that the simple noun phrase analysis is chosen because it utilizes fewest phrasal nodes in its associated phrase marker. Crain and Steedman (1985), however, predict that the interpretation of the noun phrase is determined by referential factors, such as whether or not a unique referent can be identified for the noun phrase. The results support Crain and Steedman's interactive hypothesis. In Part III, we consider some theoretical issues concerning the timing of the processor's decisions. Crain and Steedman's original model is modified in the light of such considerations. We explore the implications of the modification for the status of syntax and semantics within our model of sentence comprehension. In the final chapter, we attempt to explain the existence of parsing preferences in sentences which are presented in isolation, and for which no explicit contextual information has been provided. We conclude that contextual considerations, such as the distinction between what is and what is not already known to the hearer, are of fundamental importance during the resolution of local syntactic ambiguity by the Human Sentence Processing Mechanism.
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Cheung, Yam-Leung. "The negative wh-construction." Diss., Restricted to subscribing institutions, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1779690041&sid=25&Fmt=2&clientId=48051&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Finer, Daniel L. "The formal grammar of switch-reference." New York : Garland, 1985. http://books.google.com/books?id=xkxiAAAAMAAJ.
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Sato, Hiromi. "Selection for clausal complements and tense features /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/8432.
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Chung, So-Woo. "Cataphora in discourse representation theory /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/8424.
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Israel, Michael. "The rhetoric of grammar : scalar reasoning and polarity sensitivity /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p9913154.
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Jo, In-Hee. "A unified semantic analysis of serialization : intensionality of event individuation." Virtual Press, 1993. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/862290.
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Even though there has been little agreement as to how the phenomenon of serialization is to be defined, it is generally assumed (i) that there is a close meaning dependency (of some kind) between the event descriptions serialized (serials hereafter), (ii) that the serials cannot be modified independently by such sentential operators as tense, aspect, mood, etc., and (iii) that these aspects of serialization are closely related to the fact that a serial construction refers to a `single event'.However, these assumptions have not been materialized into an explicit analysis of serialization. In particular, it has not been clearly accounted for how the concept of single event is attributed to the meaning dependencies between serials that are apparently so diverse as to defy a unique semantic characterization. Thus, in previous studies, the apparent heterogeneity of meaning dependencies has led to `fragmentation' of serialization into coordinating and subordinating types, and of the subordinating type, in turn, into a variety of lexically governed subtypes.This dissertation argues against such fragmentation and provides a unified semantic analysis of serialization, drawing on the philosophical discussions of event individuation and causation. Under my analysis, the sense of inseparable connection between serials is represented by a counterfactual dependency between them. The counterfactual dependency only entails that the first serial is necessarily related to the second, without specifying the nature of the necessary relatedness. Thus, the variety of meaning dependencies observed in the literature can be accommodated as particular instances of the counterfactual dependency.Moreover, the single event reading of serialization is attributed to the `counterfactual' dependency between serials: in virtue of the dependency, the serials are not identified independently of each other, and hence are construed as constituting a single event unit. A variety of structural constraints on serialization observed in the literature are then analyzed as natural consequences of the conceptual unity of the serialized events as a whole.<br>Department of English
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Wynne, Terence Stewart. "The present perfect : a corpus-based investigation." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/3472.
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On the basis of an investigation of a corpus of 5.5 million words, this thesis analyses the use of the present perfect in modem American and British English. The investigation traces the development of the present perfect from its origins as a structure with adjectival meaning to its modern-day use as an aspectual verb form. A frequency analysis tests the claims of various writers that the present perfect is losing ground against the preterite and is less frequent in American than in British English. Neither claim is supported by the results of this analysis. A temporal specifier analysis investigates the co-occurrence of a large number of adverbials with the various verb forms. It finds that certain groups of specifiers which have hitherto been considered markers for the present perfect are in fact very poor indicators. Specifiers indicating a period of time lasting up to the moment of utterance, however, are found to be very reliable indicators. With one exception no significant difference was found between the British and American corpora in this respect. A functional-semantic analysis examines the various theories of the present perfect against the background of the results of the empirical investigation and finds them to be insufficient in one or more respects. In the final chapter the division between tense and aspect is shown to be artificial and a model of the present perfect is presented which is based on the idea of multilayered aspectual values. The model is centred on the unifying concept of phragmatisation - the closing of the event time-frame. According to this model, discourse topics involving the present perfect are perceived to describe an event which takes place in a time frame which is not closed to the deictic zero point at the moment of utterance. The final section describes which factors are operative in the phragmatisation or closing of event time frames.
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Guo, Ling-Yu Tomblin J. Bruce Owen Amanda J. "Acquisition of auxiliary and copula BE in young English-speaking children." [Iowa City, Iowa] : University of Iowa, 2009. http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/370.
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Howatt, Mary. "Object infinitival complements." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape11/PQDD_0001/MQ43884.pdf.
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Tanaka, Hidekazu. "Conditions on logical form derivations and representations." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape9/PQDD_0028/NQ50266.pdf.
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Hallon, Robert J. M. Brøondal Viggo. "Brøondal's system of grammar : a translation of, and commentary on, Morfologi Og Syntax (1932) /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1989. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phh192.pdf.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of English, 1989.<br>This thesis is a study of the grammatical theories of Viggo Brøondal ; the central part of the thesis consists of an English translation of his Morfologi og syntax (1932). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 386-416).
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Senturia, Martha Baird. "A prosodic theory of hiatus resolution /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p9835402.
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Petronio, Karen M. "Clause structure in American sign language /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/8418.
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Walsh, Linda. "The nature of morphological representations /." Thesis, McGill University, 1985. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=73987.
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Campana, Mark. "A movement theory of ergativity." Thesis, McGill University, 1992. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=39511.
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In this thesis, I propose a theory of ergativity in which NP arguments are checked for Case by moving to projections of agreement at LF. The Case-marking pattern of an ergative language arises when transitive subjects move to the projection of agreement usually associated with objects (AGR.o), while transitive objects and intransitive subjects move to the projection of subject agreement (AGR.s). While this proposal assigns the same underlying structure to clauses in an ergative language (unlike Marantz, 1984), it does have distinctive syntactic effects. In this it contrasts with a purely morphological approach to ergativity, such as that of Anderson (1976).<br>Arguments can move to the specifier position of agreement, or adjoin to its maximal projection. Movement cannot take place across the same kind of position as the landing site, which leads us to predict that transitive subjects cannot undergo grammatical extraction in an ergative language. This prediction turns out to be correct in a number of languages, including Chamorro, Mam, and other members of the Mayan group. Our theory also allows for a plausible account of split ergativity--non-canonical patterns in an otherwise ergative language where transitive and intransitive subjects are marked the same, but behave differently under extraction.<br>The proposal that NPs are not checked for Case until LF entails that they remain in their base positions at S-structure. Evidence for this claim is adduced from the distribution of empty pronoun arguments whose contents must be identified. Our prediction is that transitive subjects in an ergative language will interfere in the identification of an empty object pronoun, since it is closer to the pronoun than its legitimate identifier, AGR.s. This is also shown to be the case.
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Goldberg, Lotus Madelyn. "Verb-stranding VP ellipsis : a cross-linguistic study." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=50177.
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This thesis presents a study of a construction which I refer to as Verb-Stranding VP Ellipsis. The construction is studied here, specifically, in two distinct senses. First, in chapter two, diagnostics are proposed by which the VP Ellipsis ("VPE") construction can be identified—irrespective of whether the main verb involved is null or overt. It is proposed that these diagnostics can be used to rule out the possibility that the data at issue are cases of other types of null anaphora, such as null arguments, Stripping, Gapping, and Null Complement Anaphora. It emerges from this section of the thesis that Modern Hebrew, Modern Irish, and Swahili have V-Stranding VPE data which form a natural class with English's Aux-Stranding VPE, while Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Spanish do not. The second focus is the question of how V-Stranding VPE should be generated. Chapters 3 and 4 argue in favor of an analysis involving PF Deletion of a VP out of which the main verb has raised, and against an LF Copying treatment. These arguments, in part, involve the Verbal Identity Requirement on VP Ellipsis, a novel generalization involving strict identity in root and derivational morphology between the antecedent- and target clause main Vs of the construction. Within the previously known requirement that elided phrases express semantically Given information, I argue that this generalization results from the fact that the head of an elided phrase must itself express Given information—whether or not the head surfaces as phonologically null.<br>Dans cette étude, on considère en detail une construction que j'appelle « L'élision d'une expression verbale sans l'élision du verbe principal » (anglais « V-Stranding VP Ellipsis »). Cette construction est étudiée ici, spécifiquement, dans deux sens distincts. Dans le chapitre 2, on propose des diagnostics grace auxquels on peut identifier la construction « élision d'une expression verbale » (« EEV », anglais « VP Ellipsis »), que le verbe principal dans l'expression verbale soit manifeste ou élidé. On soutient que ces diagnostics peuvent être utilisés pour éliminer la possibilité que les données pertinentes soient des exemples d'autres types d'anaphore nulle, tels que argument du verbe nul, le « Stripping », le « Gapping », et le « Null Complement Anaphora ». Ainsi, on propose dans cette section que l'EEV sans l'élision du verbe dans les grammaires de l'hebreu, de l'irlaindais et du swahili forme une classe naturelle avec l'EEV avec l'élision du verbe en anglais. On soutient aussi que cette construction n'existent pas en japonais, en coréen, en espagnol, ou en italienne. Ensuite, on considère la question de comment génerer les exemples d'EEV sans l'élision du verbe. Dans les chapitres 3 et 4, on propose une analyse qui utilise la suppression d'une expression verbale au niveau de la Forme Phonologique (« la suppression FP », anglais « PF Deletion ») aprês le placement du verbe principal a une position en dehors de l'expression verbale, et on presente une explication de la raison pour laquelle une analyse qui utilise des copies de la Forme Logique (« copie FL », anglais « LF Copying ») n'est pas viable. Ceci implique, en partie, la Condition d'Identite Verbale, une généralisation proposé ici pour la premiêre fois, impliquant une identité stricte de la racine et dans la morphologie dérivationnelle entre les verbes principaux des propositions antécedentes et des propositions ciblés. Dans le cadre de la condition connue selon laquelle les syntagmes élidés expriment une information sémantique donnée (anglais « Given »), j e soutiens que la condition d'identité verbale resulte du fait que la tete d'un syntagme élidé doit elle-meme exprimer l'information donnée sémantiquement—que la téte soit phonologiquement manifeste ou nulle.
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Collins, Jeremy Charles. "Grammaticalization and Greenberg's word order correlations." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2012. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B50534130.
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Word order universals constitute a well-known problem in language typology, first outlined in Greenberg (1963). It has been firmly established in databases of over 1500 languages that languages with verb-object ordering are very likely to have prepositions and noun-genitive ordering, while languages with object-verb ordering are very likely to have postpositions and genitive-noun ordering (Dryer and Haspelmath 2011). This thesis attempts to give a historical explanation for these facts in terms of the origin of syntactic categories: adpositions have historically developed from nouns and verbs (Givon 1984, Aristar 1991); and verbs often develop from nominalizations used with a genitive object. These types of grammaticalization can explain why adpositions retain the ordering of their source nouns or verbs, and why verb/object ordering often parallels noun/genitive ordering.
This historical explanation is elaborated on, with data from different language families. Examples of verbs grammaticalizing from nominalizations used with genitive objects are given, drawing on historical work such as Salanova (2007) on Brazilian Jê languages and Starosta, Pawley and Reid (1982) on Austronesian. Different languages show varying degrees of 'nominalism', the morphosyntactic resemblance between verb forms and noun phrases/nominalizations. Other languages show a less developed distinction between adpositions and verbs/nouns. These examples of gradience in syntactic categories are argued to be behind resemblances in word orderings. Language contact is responsible for preserving word order types, when languages undergo change in more than one word order (e.g. Greenberg 1969); and the difference in rates of word order change across constructions is argued to be behind hierarchies such as Hawkins (1983)'s Prepositional Noun Modifier Hierarchy. This explanation of word order universals contrasts with more mainstream accounts such as Hawkins (1994) in terms of processing efficiency, and Kirby and Christiansen (2003) in terms of learnability. While these explanations are perhaps compatible with the historical explanation, they are argued to be redundant; grammaticalization arguably is not driven or constrained by learnability and processing efficiency, with memetics, 'typological poise' (Enfield 2003) and language contact given as alternatives. Instead of reflecting functional biases, word order patterns are argued to reflect language history, both the history of language contact, and the history of syntactic categories developing through grammaticalization.<br>published_or_final_version<br>Linguistics<br>Master<br>Master of Philosophy
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Poirier, Josée. "Finding meaning in silence the comprehension of ellipsis /." Diss., [La Jolla] : [San Diego] : University of California, San Diego ; San Diego State University, 2009. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3358671.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University, 2009.<br>Title from first page of PDF file (viewed July 14, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
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Seal, Amy. "Scoring sentences developmentally : an analog of developmental sentence scoring /." Diss., CLICK HERE for online access:, 2001. http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd12.pdf.
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Diessel, Holger. "Demonstratives form, function, and grammaticalization /." Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : J. Benjamins, 1999. http://site.ebrary.com/id/5000150.
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Revision of dissertation (Ph.D)--State University of New York, Buffalo - "Demonstratives in cross-linguistic and diachronic perspective".<br>Includes index. Includes bibliographical references at the end of each section.
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Noonan, Máire B. "Case and syntactic geometry." Thesis, McGill University, 1992. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=39372.
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The first part of this thesis addresses the following questions: where in the syntactic tree, and at what representational level is an NP Case-checked. To this end, it presents converging data from French, Welsh and Irish, which suggest (i) that Case-checking may be accomplished under a variety of functional projections (subject to parametric variation); and (ii) that Case positions are--at least partially--independent of the A/A$ sp prime$-distinction. It furthermore presents evidence from Irish and Welsh--VSO languages in which NPs typically raise to their Case position only at LF--that NPs are, under certain conditions, Case-checked at S-structure.<br>Chapter 2 investigates word order and cliticisation in Standard French and Quebec French interrogatives and proposes a typology of interrogatives. Chapter 3 and 4 account for complementizer variation, pre-verbal particles and agreement patterns in Welsh and Irish under a Case-theoretic approach.<br>The second part of this thesis concerns the conditions on the availability of structural accusative Case. A theory of structural Case is proposed according to which accusativity is a configurational rather than a lexical property--i.e., resulting from syntactic geometry and not from lexical feature specifications on verbs. To this end, a comparison between the syntactic mapping of stative and perfective predicates in Irish and English is undertaken.
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Raney, Kristen A. "Grammar instruction, retention, and underpreparedness understanding the connection /." Menomonie, WI : University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2006. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2006/2006raneyk.pdf.
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Huang, Chia-Hui. "A restructuring of case theory : evidence from S-selected case /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/8426.
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Heinz, Jeffrey Nicholas. "Inductive learning of phonotactic patterns." Diss., Restricted to subscribing institutions, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1467886191&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=1564&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Schueler, David Edward. "The syntax and semantics of implicit conditionals filling in the antecedent /." Diss., Restricted to subscribing institutions, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1619097961&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=1564&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Charette, Monik. "Some constraints on governing relations in phonology." Thesis, McGill University, 1988. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=75950.
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In this thesis I investigate the crucial role played by government in phonology in explaining various processes such as epenthesis, vowel deletion, vowel harmony, consonant assimilation, as well as the syllabification of skeletal points along with their segments into constituents, and the organization of these constituents in the word. It is argued that all these phonological processes are determined by governing relations units contract with each other.<br>Given that government applies in phonology defining the constraints under which it operates is an integral part of such a research program. The aim of this thesis then, is to analyze different phonological processes in terms of government and to determine what the relevant constraints are. The processes that are considered involve governing relations between nuclei that are adjacent at the level of nuclear projection. I show that in considering branching constituents as governing domains, government within such domains is subject to a special constraint, viz. the Minimality Condition that has been proposed by Chomsky (1986). In addition I demonstrate that only the immediate projection of a given head counts as a barrier to government from the outside.<br>Another proposal of this thesis concerns the treatment of the alternations between schwa and zero in French in terms of a relation of proper government. From such a perspective, I show that an empty nucleus is realized as zero when it is properly governed by a following nucleus. Proper government is a stronger case of government and is subject to certain additional conditions. Among them are the following: the proper governor must have phonetic content and subject to parametric variation, it can only properly govern one empty governee.
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Gelderen, Elly van. "S-bar : its character, behavior and relationship to (i)t." Thesis, McGill University, 1985. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=73992.
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Farrell, Gayle 1959. "Compensatory mechanisms in aphasia : production of syntactic forms that express thematic roles." Thesis, McGill University, 1985. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=63336.
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Fonte, Isabel. "Restrictions on coda : an optimality theoretic account of phonotactics." Thesis, McGill University, 1996. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=24078.
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In this work, I will be looking at the cross-linguistic restrictions on coda position, especially with regard to sonority and place. I propose that these restrictions can be best captured if we acknowledge two types of constraints; those which restrict the licensing ability of codas, as well as those which set out a relationship between a coda and a following onset. I show that in allowing for this distinction, the contrast between the restrictions on word-internal codas and word-final ones falls out straightforwardly. This study is carried out in the framework of Optimality Theory, but the basic claims are expected to hold in other frameworks, whether rule-based or constraint-based.
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Kawasaki, Takako 1968. "Coda constraints : optimizing representations." Thesis, McGill University, 1998. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=35970.
Full textAbstract:
Languages differ in their sound patterns, but these differences are, to a large extent, systematic. One goal of Universal Grammar (Chomsky 1957, 1965) is to account for the systematic patterns which are attested across languages. Toward this end, Universal Grammar is considered to contain a set of phonological primitives such as features, and some restrictions on their combination. However, in rule-based phonology, it is assumed that rules are part of the grammar of an individual language. By their very nature, rules describe operations. As such, they are not well-suited to express restrictions on the ways in which segments may combine when no overt operation is involved. To account for such restrictions, Chomsky & Halle (Sound Pattern of English (SPE): 1968) supplemented rules with Morpheme Structure Constraints (MSCs) which define the possible morpheme shapes that a particular language allows (see also Halle 1959). Thus, in SPE, both MSCs and rules played a role in accounting for the phonological patterns observed in languages.
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Myachykov, Andriy. "Integrating perceptual, semantic and syntactic information in sentence production." Thesis, Connect to e-thesis. Move to record for print version, 2007. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/31/.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2007.<br>Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Law, Business and Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, 2007. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.
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Nekhumbe, Mudivhani Gilbert. "Nominal inflectional categories of Tshivenda." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52961.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (DLitt)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the four nominal inflectional categories which are
identified in morphology, i.e. case, noun class, agreement and number in
Tshiven~a. This study also examines Determiner Phrase, enclitics and
definiteness with regard to Tshivenc1a noun phrases.
Chapter one is the introduction of this study. It states the aim of the study
which is, firstly, to establish whether case, noun class, agreement and
number occur in Tshivencla, and secondly, to examine the form, syntactic
distribution and semantics of these categories in Tshiven~a. This chapter
also gives the morphological assumptions of the model of lexememorpheme
base morphology by Beard (1995) and Aronoff (1994). The
theory of lexical semantics of Pustejovsky (1996) and the Minimalist
program of Chomsky (1995) are also discussed.
Chapter two examines the Determiner Phrase in Tshiven~a. It
concentrates on the structure of the OP in Tshivenda. Attention has been 41\
given to the functional categories within the OP such as DET and Agr as
well as the various nominal modifiers within the OP.
Chapter three explores Case in Tshiven~a. In Tshiven9_a there are seven
cases, i.e. nominative, accusative, instrumental, locative, genitive, dative
and vocative. This chapter concentrates on the assignment of these cases
and their grammatical functions.
Chapter four explores the noun class in Tshivenda. It examines the form 1\
and the contribution of the meaning of the noun class prefixes. The
morphological structure of the Tshivenda noun is taken as the framework 1\
for this analysis. It has been found that Tshivend,a.. has seventeen noun classes which are still active in this language. These noun class prefixes
have 24 different semantic features which contribute to the meaning of the
noun.
Chapter five discusses agreement and number in Tshivenda. In the case
A.
of agreement it has been found that it is both dependent and independent
of noun class. Subjectival and objectival agreement appear as two
functional categories within the inflection phrase. Specific attention has
also been given to existential agreement, sentential pronouns, the infinitive
as well as problems with agreement with coordinated NPs. Certain cases
have also been highlighted where no agreement appears. Lastly, it has
been shown that number is not an inflectional category in Tshivenda, but it A
is a semantic category.
Chapter six is concemed with definiteness in the interpretation of the noun
in Tshivenda. In the first place, it has been shown in which cases a noun
1\
phrase may be interpreted as definite or indefinite. Secondly, the
contribution of the nominal modifiers with regard to the definiteness of the
noun phrase has been investigated. Lastly, it has been shown that proper
names have to be interpreted as definite.
Chapter seven investigated the three enclitics in Tshivenda, i.e. de, shu
'" A
and vho. Their meaning and distribution have been explored with regard to
their presence on nouns, nominal modifiers and verbs. The distribution of
these three enclitics is dependent on their meaning. The enclitic de which A
refers to quantifiers may not appear on verbs. Enclitics which are
interrogative in nature such as d,..e and shu may not appear with
interrogative nominal modifiers.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die vier nominale infleksie kategorieë wat in die
morfologie geïdentifiseer is nl. naamval, naamwoordklas,
klasooreenstemming en getal in Tshivenqa. Hierdie studie gee ook aandag
aan Bepalersfrase, enklitieke en bepaaldheid m.b.t. die Tshiven2a
naamwoordgroepe.
Hoofstuk een is die inleiding tot die studie. Dit gee die doelstellings van
die studie: eerstens moet vasgestel word of naamval, naamwoordklas,
klasooreenstemming en getal in Tshivenda voorkom, en tweedens moet die A
vorm, sintaktiese distribusie en semantiek van hierdie kategorieë in
Tshivenda bepaal word. Hierdie hoofstuk gee ook aandag aan die A
morfologiese aannames van die lekseem-morfeem morfologie van Beard
(1995) en Aronoff (1994). Die teorie van leksikale semantiek van
Pustejovsky (1996) word ook bespreek sowel as die Minimalistiese
program in sintaksis van Chomsky (1995).
Hoofstuk twee ondersoek die Bepalersfrase in Tshivenda. Dit konsentreer A
veralop die struktuur van die Bepalersfrase in Tshivenda. Aandag is veral
A
gegee aan die funksionele kategorieë binne die Bepalersfrase soos die
bepaler en klasooreenstemming asook die verskillende nominale bepalers
in die Bepalersfrase.
Hoofstuk drie handeloor die naamval in Tshivenda. Sewe naamvalle is in A
Tshivend,.a. onderskei nl. nominatief, akkusatief, instrument, lokatief,
genitief, datief en vokatief. Hierdie hoofstuk konsentreer op die toekenning
van hierdie naamvalle en hulle grammatikale funksies. Hoofstuk vier ondersoek die naamwoordklas in Tshivend,a.. Dit gee veral
aandag aan die vorm van die naamwoordprefikse sowel as die bydrae van
hierdie prefikse tot die betekenis van die naamwoord in Tshivenda. Hierdie '" analise is gedoen binne 'n raamwerk van die morfologiese struktuur van die
naamwoord. Daar is gevind dat Tshivend,a. nog sewentien
naamwoordklasse het wat aktief in die taal is. Daarby kon 24 verskillende
betekeniskenmerke van hierdie naamwoordprefikse bepaal word.
Hoofstuk vyf bespreek klasooreenstemming en getal in Tshivenda. In die
A
geval van klasooreenstemming is gevind dat dit beide afhanklik en
onafhanklik van naamwoordklas is. Klasooreenstemming ten opsigte van
die onderwerp en voorwerp is twee funksionele kategorieë binne die
infleksiefrase. Verder is spesiale aandag gegee aan eksistensie,
sinsvoomaamwoorde, die infinitief sowel as neweskikkende
naamwoordgroepe. Daar is ook gevalle aangedui waarin geen
klasooreensteming voorkom. Getal is 'n semantiese kategorie in Tshivenda " maar nie' infleksie kategorie nie.
Hoofstuk ses handeloor bepaaldheid ten opsigte van die interpretasie van
die naamwoord in Tshivend,a.. In die eerste plek is aangedui in welke
gevalle naamwoordgroepe bepaald of onbepaald geïnterpreteer kan word,
en tweedens is aandag gegee aan die bydrae van nominale bepalers ten
opsigte van die bepaaldheid van die naamwoordgroep. Laastens is gewys
op die voorkoms van bepaaldheid by eiename.
Hoofstuk sewe het die drie enklitieke in Tshivenda ondersoek nl. de, shu ,. J\
en vho. Hul betekenis en distribusie is nagegaan ten opsigte van hul
voorkoms by naamwoorde, nominale bepalers asook werkwoorde. Die
distribusie van hierdie drie enklitieke is duidelik afhanklik van hul betekenis. So kan de wat verwys na kwantifiseerders bv. nie saam met werkwoorde
optree n"ie. Enklitieke wat interprogatief van aard is soos d,..e en shu kan
ook dus nie saam met interrogatiewe nominale bepalers voorkom nie.
40
Cowles, Heidi Wind. "Processing information structure : evidence from comprehension and production /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2003. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3100373.
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Bagemihl, Bruce. "Alternate phonologies and morphologies." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28617.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates two types of alternate languages: LUDLINGS (also known as language games, speech disguises, etc.), which involve primarily nonconcatenative morphological manipulation of their source languages, and SURROGATE LANGUAGES, which substitute alternative sound-producing mechanisms (whistling or a musical instrument) for the larynx.
Chapter 2 explores the autonomy of surrogate systems in relation to both their own modalities and their source language phonologies. After presenting a formal analysis of Akan drum speech, I develop a complete model of the surrogate component. I argue that many properties which distinguish whistle surrogates from instrumental surrogates can only be attributed to the modular organization of this component. The last part of the chapter provides an inventory of the types of processes present in each module of the surrogate component.
Chapter 3 presents theoretical treatments of representatives of each of the three major categories of ludlings (templatic, infixing, and reversing), beginning with the katajjait (throat games) of the Canadian Inuit. Although customarily regarded as a form of music, the katajjait are actually a well-developed form of templatic ludling. The implications of an infixing ludling in Tigrinya for tiered and planar geometry are then investigated. The chapter concludes with a detailed analysis of reversing ludlings, based on a parametrized version of the Crossing Constraint.
In Chapter 4 I develop an integrated model of alternate linguistic systems, starting with an investigation of where in the grammar the ludling component is located. Drawing on data from more than fifty languages, I propose that there are three conversion modules in this component, each taking a well-defined level of representation as its input. In the last portion of the chapter I explore the possibility that one or more of these modules overlaps with the last module of the surrogate component. I conclude that the similarities exhibited by ludlings and surrogates are not due to a shared conversion module, but rather reflect the interaction of three factors: 1) the salience of certain levels of representation within the grammar; 2) general properties of the domains in which conversion takes place; and 3) membership in a common alternate linguistic component.<br>Arts, Faculty of<br>Linguistics, Department of<br>Graduate
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Sethuraman, Nitya. "The acquisition of verbs and argument structure constructions /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3049671.
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Umeda, Mari. "Second language acquisition of Japanese wh-constructions." Thesis, McGill University, 2008. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=112128.
Full textAbstract:
Note:<br>This dissertation investigates the second language (L2) acquisition of Japanese wh-constructions by Chinese- and English-speaking learners. The focus of this study is twofold; first, it examines whether parameter resetting is possible in L2 acquisition, as both Chinese and English wh-constructions are parametrically different from Japanese wh-constructions. Second, it examines whether parameter resetting is affected by the learners' first language (Ll). Not only do Chinese and English wh-constructions differ from Japanese wh-constructions, but they also differ from each other. Chinese is, like Japanese, a wh-in-situ language, while English is a wh-movement language. Chinese wh-constructions, therefore, can be said to be more similar to Japanese wh-constructions than English wh-constructions. It is investigated whether the similarity between Chinese and Japanese and dissimilarity between English and Japanese affect the course and/or the ultimate attainment in the acquisition ofwh-constructions in Japanese.[...]<br>Cette dissertation enquete sur l’acquisition des constructions wh du japonais appris comme langue seconde (L2) par les anglophones et les sinophones. Le point de mire de cette etude est double. Dans un premier temps, elle cherche a savoir si le changement parametrique est possible en acquisition L2, puisque les constructions wh de l’anglais et du chinois sont parametriquement opposees a celles du japonais. Deuxiemement, elle cherche a savoir si le changement parametrique est affecte par 1a langue matemelle de l’apprenant. Non seulement les constructions wh de l’anglais et du chinois sont differentes de celles du japonais, elles different egalement l’une de l’autre. Le chinois, comme le japonais, est une langue wh-in-situ, alors que l’anglais est une langue a movement wh. Les constructions wh du chinois peuvent done etre decrites comme etant plus semblables a celles du japonais qu’a celles de l’anglais. Ce travail cherche a sa voir si la similarite entre le chino is et le japonais et la dissimilarite entre l’anglais et le japonais ont un effet sur le processus et/ou le resultat final de 1’acquisition de ces constructions en japonais.[...]
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Levi, Susannah V. "The representation of underlying glides : a cross-linguistic study /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/8406.
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Borden, David S. (David Scott). "Non-Native Speakers of English and Denominal Regularization." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1994. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc279230/.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether nonnative speakers of English have access to specifically-linguistic constraints governing past tense morphology. Forty non-native speakers of English rated the naturalness of 29 exocentric, or headless, verbs in a partial replication of Kim, Pinker, Prince, and Prasada (1991) which looked at the same phenomenon in native speakers. Nonnative speaker performance was similar to the 40 subject native speaker control group. A correlation also existed between length of residence and subject ratings. The results imply that non-native speakers have access to the rules governing past tense morphology although not as completely as native speakers.
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Myers, James Tomlinson. "A processing model of phonological rule application." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/186217.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation proposes a formal model of phonological performance, Double Lookup, that also has empirical consequences for theories of phonological competence. The most significant of these is the Productivity Hypothesis, the claim that the ordering of rules derives from their relative productivity. According to Double Lookup, the use of phonological knowledge during speech production occurs in two steps. First, forms are retrieved from memory; second, phonological rules are retrieved from memory and applied, if appropriate, to the retrieved forms. Phonological patterns may be applied during speech in this way or be prepatterned (stored as patterns across lexical items in memory). The productivity of a rule is defined to be the likelihood of its being retrieved and applied during speech production. In general, less productive rules are more likely to be prepatterned than more productive rules. The Productivity Hypothesis then follows: Because prepatterned forms are retrieved before rules are retrieved and applied, less productive rules will be ordered before more productive rules. Double Lookup and the Productivity Hypothesis are tested in several ways. First it is shown that the ordering of partially productive rules in English, as determined using standard linguistic methods, corresponds with their ranking in productivity, as determined through experiments described in the literature and through original surveys of speech errors. The application of fully productive rules in English is also shown to be consistent with the Productivity Hypothesis; fully productive rules do not apply in a linear sequence, but rather interact in accordance with universal principles. All apparent counterexamples actually involve less than fully productive rules. Next it is shown that the phenomenon referred to in the literature as cyclicity is correctly predicted to arise under certain well-defined circumstances, as when a rule is both prepatterned and very productive. In addition, it is shown that there are large categories of examples that cannot be handled by the notion of cyclicity at all, but find a simple account within Double Lookup. Finally, evidence for the model is summarized by comparing it with other models of rule ordering which face conceptual and empirical problems Double Lookup avoids.
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Flynn, Michael J. "Structure building operations and word order." New York : Garland Pub, 1985. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/12285682.html.
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LIU, HSIAO-MEI. "A CATEGORIAL GRAMMAR ANALYSIS OF CHINESE SEPARABLE COMPOUNDS AND PHRASES (SYNTAX, SEMANTICS)." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/183896.
Full textAbstract:
The lexicon of modern Chinese is composed mainly of disyllabic compound words; some of the compounds are separable, while others are not. Hindered by problems with the definition of the Chinese word and by the concept of separate grammatical levels on which morphological, syntactic and semantic processes occur, previous linguistic studies have been unable to fully account for the separability of some compounds and for the relationship of compound separability to phrase separability. This dissertation finds that, with morphemes having the same syntactic association with other morphemes that words or phrases have with other words or phrases, categorial rules logically explain the common syntax of Chinese words and phrases. In categorial grammar analysis based on the work of Ajdukiewicz (1935), Montague (1974), Partee (1972; 1975), and Bach (1983; 1984), categories are determined by functions associating the expressions in component sets, and syntactic operations build categories up into larger derived categories according to specified functor-argument relations. In the present analysis of Chinese, to the set of the non-verb general category belong morphemes, words and phrases whose form classes are not verbs and which are generic names. Argument expressions, both compound words and verb phrases which belong to this category, combine with the intransitive/non-verb general functor to form the IV category. Rules operating by concatenation, cliticization and wrapping account for the occurrence of resultative expressions, aspect markers, and expressions of time duration or time frequency between the components of separable compounds. Further, the hierarchy of thematic roles devised by Jackendoff (1972) is applied to account for cases in which the functors in IV combine with more than one argument. In this way, an analysis which combines principles of morphology, syntax and semantics is able to account for the identity of compound and phrase separability and derive grammatical sentences for the language.
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Pi, Chia-Yi Tony 1970. "Mereology in event semantics." Thesis, McGill University, 1999. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=36681.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates verbal and prepositional representations of change under a non-localistic analysis based on the mereology of events, i.e., a system of aspect that uses event parts as primitives in lieu of path parts. Localistic analyses, developed from motional concepts (e.g., Verkuyl 1993, Asher & Sablayrolles 1994), do not extend to non-motional data (e.g., changes of state or possession) except via metaphor, thereby bypassing essential generalizations about change.<br>It is argued that, instead of modeling change after the tripartite source-route-goal divisions of a spatial path, the various combinations of two eventive primitives---distinguished point and distinguished process---are sufficient and necessary in accounting for abstract and concrete data, including the four aspectual verb classes of states, activities, achievements and accomplishments (Vendler 1967). The medial lexical specification, route, is shown to be unnecessary, being an epiphenomenon of two distinguished points interacting, or inferable through pragmatic considerations. This is shown by examples from English and French.<br>Event mereology unifies concrete with abstract change under a single system of features for verbs (e.g., arrive and inherit ), prepositions, and their associated phrases (in the house and in debt). Underspecification and complementation further economize the lexical representations while accounting for cases of semantic ambiguity. Such issues as homogeneity in states/processes, resultatives, aspectual verbs (continue, stop), agentivity, and the effects of aspectual coercion by English aspectual morphemes (-ed, -ing) are examined and re-formulated where necessary.<br>The event-mereological approach is demonstrated to be compatible with various current syntactic analyses, and one such analysis (Travis 1999) is investigated in detail. Event mereology is also shown to extend to more complex aspectual patterns observed of serial verb constructions in Edo (Stewart 1998).
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Hu, Jiazhen. "Temporal interpretation in English." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/184595.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation investigates the interaction between the basic rules for tense interpretation, on the one hand, and temporal types of VPs or sentences, time expressions and syntactic distribution of tense forms, on the other. This dissertation proposes an analysis in which each tense form is associated with at least three time identities, the zero time point, the event time and the reference time. The zero time is defined as the time from which a situation is considered and interpreted, the event time as the time at which a situation takes place and the reference time is the time at which the situation holds and which is part of the event time under consideration. Concerning the temporal structures of situations expressed by VPs or sentences, this dissertation proposes a six-type temporal classification and treats temporal types not as atomic but as reducible to temporal features. By so doing, this dissertation brings to light the internal structure among various temporal types. Regarding the relation between tense and time expressions, this dissertation analyzes it to be one of temporal inclusion and provides a successful account of why time adverbs do not necessarily mark both ending points of a given homogeneous situation, though this is true with a nonhomogeneous situation. In accounting for tense interpretation in complement clauses, this dissertation maintains that complement tense forms and matrix tense forms can be interpreted in the same way and they differ only in the interpretation of the zero time point. In the matrix clause, tense is interpreted with respect to the speech time and, in the complement clause, tense is interpreted relative to the reference time of the matrix clause. Because the zero time is used instead of the speech time in the proposed basic tense rules, these rules are general and powerful enough to be applicable to tenses in any syntactic environment.