81 - 90 of 170 results for: LINGUIST

Presentation of a formal model of grammar designed to allow precise, computationally tractable descriptions of cross-linguistic variation in syntactic structure. Concentration on the formal properties of the model, its flexibility in teasing out language specific and possibly universal characteristics of natural languages and the place of syntax as a component within a larger linguistic architecture. Prerequisite: 120 or consent of instructor

To reason about textual information we rely extensively on extra-linguistic information but the syntactic structure and lexical items used also play a role in guiding us to conclusions. In by now traditional semantic practice the contributions of those are treated in model theoretic terms. But formulas of first or higher order logic do not come with effective procedures for the reasoning that is required to draw inferences or answer questions given some natural language input. Natural Reasoning is a cover term we use for a family of proof-theoretic formal approaches that are currently used by computational linguists. The course will give an overview of proof-theoretic logic as applied to natural language, discuss some of the computational systems that incorporate this view (Stanford's NatLog, Bar Ilan's Biutee, Parc's Bridge) and conclude with a critical view of the linguistic generalizations that underlie these approaches and means to improve them or mitigate their shortcomings. The examples of natural reasoning will mainly be in the domain of monotonicity reasoning and reasoning about the factuality of events.

May be repeated for credit.

Seminar on advanced topics in syntax. Topics may vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit. May be repeated for credit.

Diverse kinds of elliptical utterances. The fundamental problems in grammatical analysis of ellipsis (primary focus: English). The clarification of key data relating to current theoretical controversies. May be repeated for credit.

The nature of the syntax-phonology interface. To what extent does syntax influence phonology and in what ways does phonology influence syntax? Topics may include: word order and linearization, second-position effects, prosodic structure and the prosodic hierarchy, sentential stress, ellipsis, focus, allomorphy, among others. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Linguistics 222A (Foundations of Syntactic Theory I) and Linguistics 210A (Phonology), or permission of the instructor.

Presentation of ongoing research in syntax and morphology. May be repeated for credit.

Group research projects using quantitative syntactic data from texts, recordings, experiments, or historical records. Skills in extracting, graphically exploring, and analyzing naturalistic syntactic data, and in presenting results. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: 229A, B, or D, or equivalent.

Critiques of the empirical foundations of syntax. The roles of introspective, usage-based, experimental, and typological evidence. Modern methods of data collection and analysis used in syntax. Hands-on, practical work with data sets. May be repeated for credit.