Conciliating States and Locations: Towards a More Comprehensive and In- Depth Account of the Spanish Copula Estar

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ma. Eugenia Mangialavori
Keyword(s):  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Integrative Analysis ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Selectional Restrictions ◽  
Complementary Distribution ◽  
Spatial Domains ◽  
Structural Analogy ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Copular Clauses

AbstractThe case of estar may reveal how different proposals of study have failed to grasp grammatically relevant semantic features shared by its occurrences. The results of this study indicate that an integrative analysis of estar clauses would account not only for the consistent lexical properties observed - comprising (a)analogous lexical-syntactic structure predicting possible copular complements, (b)analogous selectional restrictions and (c)interpretative effects -, but also for the complementary distribution of two aspectually nontrivial verbal alternations (ser / estar and estar / haber). Our proposal lays on the standard syntactic structure of copular clauses - assumed to embrace locative clauses, against what traditional Spanish grammar suggests - in combination with (i) the structural analogy between estar’s alternative complements (APs and PPs) and (ii) the understanding of states as abstract spatial domains (be at). Thus, the eventual differences between clauses like ‘estoy triste’ and ‘estoy en casa’ could be accounted for by virtue of the semantic / syntactic properties of the lexical head selected.

Il Y A ... Qui et C'est ... Qui

1986 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marcel Léard
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Features ◽  
Semantic Grammar ◽  
Grammatical Morphemes ◽  
Il Y A ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Semantic Compatibility ◽  
Semantic Properties

Il y a ... qui and c'est... qui: Syntax and compatibility between semantic operations In this paper, we show that il y a ... qui and c'est... qui have three meanings or values, that are suitable with only some operations of determination, modalization (like questions, negations) and with a number of syntactic categories and functions. Therefore, we use syntactic properties to point out semantic features, but we show, in return, that syntactic acceptability of sentences can be often explained by semantic compatibility between operations. That involves a basically semantic grammar. So we link syntactic and semantic properties, mainly the meaning of grammatical morphemes. In such a case, we consider that transformational hypotheses, which don't take into account these links, are not appropriate, and we propose a more realistic way (although theoretical) of doing syntax: syntax is also the compatibility between the meaning of morphemes.

“Subject-predicate predicate sentences” in modern Mandarin Chinese: A Cardiff Grammar approach

Linguistics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei He
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Syntactic Structures

AbstractThis study investigates “subject-predicate predicate sentences” (“S-P P sentences”) in modern Mandarin Chinese from a Cardiff Grammar approach with the aim of answering three main questions: (i) What is/are the functional syntactic structure(s) of the sentences to be considered in the study? (ii) What is/are the semantic motivation(s) for the structure(s)? (iii) What is/are the contextual constraints on the structure(s)? The study is guided by three basic principles: (a) language is multifunctional; (b) meaning is primary while form is the realization of meaning; and (c) different strands of meaning are realized by a single syntactic structure. Further, the study utilizes the concepts of Theme and Subject within the Cardiff Grammar in order to analyze and discuss the generally acknowledged seven types of “S-P P sentences”. The results show that only one type is truly S-P P and another type only in one sense, whereas no other types can be categorized as such. All the syntactic structures are conditioned by a different set of distinctive semantic features and contextual factors.

Lexical Semantics

2019 ◽  
pp. 180-203
Author(s):  
David Stringer
Keyword(s):  
Feature Selection ◽  
Lexical Semantics ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Word Meaning ◽  
Structure Theory ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Thematic Roles ◽  
Language Research ◽  
Open Class ◽  
Lexical Relations

Lexical semantics is concerned with inherent aspects of word meaning and the semantic relations between words, as well as the ways in which word meaning is related to syntactic structure. This chapter provides an introduction to some of the main themes in lexical semantic research, including the nature of the mental lexicon, lexical relations, and the decomposition of words into grammatically relevant semantic features. The mapping between the semantics of verbs and their associated syntax is discussed in terms of thematic roles, semantic structure theory, and feature selection. A review of some of the most influential findings in second language research involving both open-class and closed-class lexical items reveals important implications for classroom pedagogy and syllabus design in the domain of vocabulary instruction.

A Propos des Noms D'instruments

1991 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-323
Author(s):  
Anne Poncet-Montange
Keyword(s):  
Selectional Restrictions ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Adverbial Phrase ◽  
Sufficient Precision

In this article, we attempt to find syntactic properties that might characterize instrumental nouns, i.e. nouns denoting a tool or a machine. We examine a number of properties, both distributional and transformational, that have traditionally been associated with instrumental nouns and demonstrate that those properties are neither specific to instrumentals nor common to all instrumentals. Such nouns, which typically appear in adverbial phrases, also raise the question of selectional restrictions between the verb, object and adverbial phrase in a sentence. Certain syntactic constructions help decide whether an instrumental adverb is semantically appropriate to the verb, but not with sufficient precision.

The Event Bush Method in the Light of Typed Graphs Illustrated by Common Sense Reasoning

2018 ◽  
pp. 320-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uwe Wolter ◽  
Olga Korableva ◽  
Nikita Solovyov
Keyword(s):  
Common Sense ◽  
Knowledge Engineering ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Directed Graphs ◽  
Mathematical Foundation ◽  
Efficient Tool ◽  
Common Sense Reasoning ◽  
Syntactic Properties

The event bush method being an efficient tool for representation and engineering of dynamic knowledge still lacks a strict mathematical foundation. Many of the syntactic properties of event bushes, however, seem compliant with directed graphs and can be described by typed graphs (i.e., by homomorphisms between directed graphs). This chapter explores an opportunity to formalize the syntactic structure of event bushes by means of typed graphs and shows useful implications of this approach for knowledge engineering and representation.

Meaning and semantic composition

2019 ◽  
pp. 276-321
Author(s):  
Mary Dalrymple ◽  
John J. Lowe ◽  
Louise Mycock
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Foundation ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Linear Logic ◽  
Detailed Account ◽  
Semantic Structure ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Semantic Composition ◽  
Tense And Aspect

This chapter explores the theory of the relation between syntax and meaning, examining how the meaning of an utterance is determined on the basis of its syntactic structure. The existence of a separate level of semantic structure or s-structure, related to the f-structure by a correspondence function is assumed. Some previous LFG approaches to semantics and the syntax-semantics interface are briefly reviewed before an introduction to the glue approach to semantic composition (Section 8.5). This approach, which is adopted in the rest of the book, provides a firm theoretical foundation for the discussions and analyses that are presented. The properties of thefragment of linear logic that are used in this book are introduced in Section 8.7. A detailed account of the semantics of quantification within the glue approach is provided in Section 8.8. The representation of semantic features is discussed in Section 8.9, and how to represent tense and aspect inSection 8.10.

Conditions on prominent internal possessors in Turkish

2019 ◽  
pp. 163-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asli Göksel ◽  
Balkiz Öztürk
Keyword(s):  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Subject Position ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Adverbial Clause ◽  
Matrix Subject ◽  
Psych Verb

This chapter investigates the syntactic properties of the prominent possessor constructions in Turkish. Possessors of possessive phrases become prominent only in a set of well-defined constructions, namely, from within an adverbial clause, typically containing a body part idiom. These idioms have the structure NP-POSS V, where N is a noun of inalienable possession, V is an unaccusative verb, and the idiom itself is paraphraseable as a psych-verb. The chapter analyses the syntactic structure of these idioms and proposes that the subject position in the adverbial clause is occupied by PRO. PRO is in the c-command domain of the matrix subject and is the locus of the experiencer of the unaccusative verb. The possessor is coindexed with this experiencer via its morphosyntactic features.

Actes De Langage, Semi-Actes Et Typologie Des Connecteurs Pragmatiques

1987 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Rubattel
Keyword(s):  
Speech Acts ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
Speech Act Theory ◽  
Illocutionary Force ◽  
Complementary Distribution ◽  
Grammatical Categories ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Discourse Units ◽  
The Relationship

This article deals with the syntactic properties of pragmatic connectives and with the relationship between their distributional and argumentative properties. Recent discourse models based on speech act theory assume that pragmatic connectives link sentences (or larger units). However, certain phrasal categories too can function as discourse units, and the set of pragmatic connectives therefore includes not only markers linking sentences provided with an illocutionary force (speech acts), but also phrases lacking an asserted illocutionary force (semi-speech acts). Moreover, many connectives either belong to the two subsets or are in complementary distribution, depending on the syntactic environment. Except for coordination, all these connectives are members of only two grammatical categories: Universal subordinators (including complementizers, subordinating conjunctions and prepositions), and modifying adverbs. Coordinate conjunctions are briefly reconsidered, and some arguments are given for restricting this class to et, ou and ni, both on pragmatic and on syntactic grounds.

Sur Les Contraintes D'emploi de Soit...Soit Alternatif

1989 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Joulin
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Selectional Restrictions

We present a semantic analysis of the French alternative conjunction soit ... soit (either ... or). Study of its selectional restrictions reveals some interesting semantic features which are either shared by the other alternating conjunctions {e.g. ou) or specific to it. For the first set of features, we focus on selectional restrictions related to synonymous terms which determine either simultaneity or a superordinate relation; for the second, we analyze selectional retrictions related to the restrictive terms, the interrogative mood and the metalinguistic use of soit... soit.

scholarly journals Heads and layers in agglutination: A case in deadjectival psych verbs with -garu in Japanese

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-65
Author(s):  
Takashi Nakajima
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clause ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Distributed Morphology ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Computational System ◽  
Complex Predicate ◽  
Psych Verbs ◽  
Sensory Motor ◽  
General Architecture

Abstract Using deadjectival psych verbs with -garu in Japanese, this study shows that agglutinative complex predicate formation is done by recursive application of Merge to roots and functional heads. This process creates a layered syntactic structure, with each layer providing the computational system with (i) specific semantic features, (ii) arguments, and (iii) phonetic form (PF) exponents at conceptual–intentional (CI)/sensory motor (SM) Interfaces. The whole amalgam of the root and the functional heads is interpreted as a “word” at PF. Following the general architecture of Distributed Morphology, I will show that the morpheme that derives deadjectival verbs -garu is underlyingly -k-ar-u (k-Copula-T), where k is “little” v that originates in the verbal root k-o “come” and ar- is a copula. They are now grammaticalized functional heads that extend adjectival roots. Crucially, this k is homophonous with “little” a, which makes -garu and the adjective-deriving morpheme -karu (k-Copula-T) parallel. k is voiced in -garu due to a structurally conditioned assimilation rule (Embick 2013). This analysis reveals the mechanisms of agglutinative predicate formation in a precise and detailed manner. Similarly, it gives natural solutions to some of the long-standing problems including how adjectives modify N such as utukusii dansaa “beautiful dancer,” which is ambiguous between attributive modification and a relative clause.

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