Discourse relations across genres and contexts

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-231
Author(s):  
Anita Fetzer ◽  
Augustin Speyer
Keyword(s):  
Representation Theory ◽  
Word Order ◽  
Personal Narrative ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Discourse Representation ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Discourse Representation Theory ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar ◽  
Discourse Relations ◽  
Discourse Units

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of the linguistic realization of discourse relations across and within English and German discourse, comparing the genres of newspaper editorial and personal narrative. It concentrates on Continuation, Narration and Contrast, and Elaboration, Explanation and Comment. Particular attention is given to (1) their overt realization with textual themes and pragmatic word order, and (2) the (non)adjacent positioning of discourse units realizing the relations. The methodological framework is an integrated one, supplementing Systemic Functional Grammar with Segmented Discourse Representation Theory. In the English and German narratives, there is a strong tendency to realize discourse relations overtly. The overall overt realization is significantly higher for narratives in both languages with editorials being significantly less overt. There are also significant differences in the overt realization of non-adjacently positioned units realizing discourse relations with significant distributions in all cases, although the distribution in the narratives is less significant.

The negotiation of discourse relations in context: Co-constructing degrees of overtness

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Maier ◽  
Carolin Hofmockel ◽  
Anita Fetzer
Keyword(s):  
Representation Theory ◽  
Discourse Processing ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Discourse Representation ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Discourse Representation Theory ◽  
Cognitive Economy ◽  
Discourse Relations

AbstractThis paper examines the linguistic realization of discourse relations in the discourse genre of commentary. Based on a “bare” source text from which all extraclausal constituents had been removed, the linguistic realization of discourse relations is compared across three dyadically co-constructed experimental texts. The methodological framework integrates Segmented Discourse Representation Theory with functional grammar and psycholinguistic models of discourse processing, and describes discourse relations (DRs) that tend to be indexed implicitly only, that is, via intraclausal cues, and others that tend to be indexed with a mix of intra- and extraclausal cues. Continuation and Result; Continuation and Elaboration; and Elaboration, Explanation, and Background show some overlap in their definitions, and that is why their realizations may remain vague unless they are supplemented with extraclausal cues. Salience can account for the overspecifications observed, while underspecifications may be accounted for in terms of cognitive economy.

Tense and Aspect in Discourse Representation Theory

2019 ◽  
pp. 521-582
Author(s):  
Hans Kamp
Keyword(s):  
Representation Theory ◽  
Internal Structure ◽  
World Knowledge ◽  
Discourse Representation ◽  
Discourse Representation Theory ◽  
Tense And Aspect ◽  
Discourse Relations ◽  
Discourse Interpretation ◽  
Aspectual Meaning

This chapter is about the treatment of tense and aspect in Discourse Representation Theory. The focus is on the role that different tense forms and other sentence constituents with temporal and/or aspectual meaning components have on the interpretation of sentence sequences: how the occurrence of such a constituent in a sentence links its interpretation temporally or aspectually to that of the sentence of sentences preceding it. The concern on the discourse linking role of tenses and other sentence constituents led to DRT in the first place, with its architecture that is geared to deal with the systematic properties of incremental discourse interpretation. Novel about the chapter is its discussion of the distinction between temporal cross-sentential discourse links that are fully determined by the choice of tense forms alone and those which also rely on world knowledge and discourse relations. DRT work on sentence- and word-internal structure is not discussed.

A systemic typology of existential and possessive constructions

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Wang ◽  
Jie Xu
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Systemic Functional Grammar ◽  
Relational Processes ◽  
Case Marking ◽  
Possessive Constructions ◽  
Systemic Network ◽  
Definiteness Effect

In this article, we examine locational constructions (including existentials, locatives, and possessives) in a number of languages. Morpho-syntactically, locationals resemble or are related to one another in word order, in case marking, and in the choice of verbs. In semantics, the relatedness lies in the definiteness effect, in the locative feature, and in the mutually defining relationship between the semantic elements within each construction. As is recognized by Heine (1997), Stassen (2001) and others, the existential is one of the major sources from which possessives are derived. Basically, possessive constructions are existentials whose locative elements are prototypically human. We argue that locational constructions are relational processes and that they can be integrated into a systemic network with respect to two semantic features, i.e., the definiteness of the existent element and the humanness of the locative element. This systemic relationship between locationals has implications for the description and comparison of languages within the Systemic Functional Grammar framework, particularly where locationals are concerned.

scholarly journals Locating adverbials in discourse

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAURE VIEU ◽  
MYRIAM BRAS ◽  
NICHOLAS ASHER ◽  
MICHEL AURNAGUE
Keyword(s):  
Representation Theory ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Discourse Representation ◽  
Discourse Representation Theory ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Discourse Connectives

This article analyses Locating Adverbials (LAs) such as un peu plus tard, ce matin, deux kilomètres plus loin (‘a little later’, ‘this morning’, ‘two kilometers further’) when they are dislocated to the left of the sentence (IP Adjuncts cases). Although not discourse connectives, in such a position, they seem to play an important part in structuring discourse. It is this contribution of LAs to discourse that we tackle, providing a descriptive analysis and a formal account grounded on Segmented Discourse Representation Theory. In particular, we deal with the frame introducer role of the LAs and with spatio-temporal interpretations of these markers occurring in trajectory descriptions.

Meaning and Interpretation

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-141
Author(s):  
Piotr Stalmaszczyk
Keyword(s):  
Representation Theory ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Cognitive Science ◽  
Philosophy Of Language ◽  
Dynamic Semantics ◽  
Context Dependency ◽  
Discourse Representation ◽  
Discourse Representation Theory ◽  
Dynamic Character ◽  
Hans Kamp

Meaning and the Dynamics of Interpretation brings together fourteen papers by Hans Kamp, whose research is concerned with formal linguistics, philosophy of language, logic, cognitive science and computer science. Central to this research are problems of presupposition, context dependency, vagueness of meaning, the dynamic character of interpretation, the issues contributing to the version of dynamic semantics known as Discourse Representation Theory, and associated with the dynamic turn in the study of meaning and interpretation.

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