scholarly journals Noun phrase and clausal connectives in Akan

2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-27
Author(s):  
Nana Aba Amfo
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
The Other ◽  
Dialectal Variation ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Semantics And Pragmatics ◽  
Intended Interpretation

This paper explores the semantics and pragmatics of noun phrase and clausal connectives in Akan (Niger-Congo, Kwa branch), highlighting dialectal variation. In Fante, noun phrases may be conjoined by nye which encodes comitativity, or na, which is underdetermined between comitative and coordinative meanings. Asante, on the other hand, uses the underdetermined noun phrase connective ne. The interlocutor in Asante thus relies on contextual information to determine the intended interpretation. Clausal conjunction in both dialects is performed by na, but a temporal marker can be aptly used in certain contexts as an alternative to the clausal connective. This situation, where the temporal marker functions as a clausal connective, is more general in Fante where the temporal marker is even used in certain contrastive contexts. This phenomenon demonstrates the close conceptual affinity between temporal markers and clausal coordinators.

Syntactic, semantic and information structures of floating quantifiers

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryo Otoguro ◽  
Liselotte Snijders
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Information Structure ◽  
Phrase Structure ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
The Other ◽  
Information Structures ◽  
Recent Proposal ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Floating Quantifiers ◽  
The One

Quantifiers canonically attach to nouns or noun phrases as modifiers to specify the amount or number of the entity expressed by the noun. However, it has been observed that quantifiers can be positioned outside of the noun phrase. These so-called floating quantifiers (FQs) exhibit intriguing syntactic and semantic characteristics. On the one hand, they appear to have a closerelationship with a noun; semantically they quantify a noun in the same way as non-floating quantifiers, and quite often they exhibit agreement with the noun. On the other hand, their phrase structure distribution is very similar to that of VP-adverbs. In this paper, we argue that the distribution of FQs is constrained not purely by syntax, but also by information structure. We show that FQs play a focus role whereas modified nouns are reference-oriented topic expressions. Building upon Dalrymple and Nikolaeva’s (2011) recent proposal, we formulate the interaction between syntactic, semantic and information structure features of FQs within LFG’s projection architecture.

Beyond The ‘Null Setting’

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-76
Author(s):  
Axel Gelfert ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Epistemic Justification ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
The Other ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Epistemology Of Testimony ◽  
The One ◽  
Informal Settings ◽  
Remedial Strategies

Epistemologists of testimony have tended to construct highly stylized (so-called “null setting”) examples in support of their respective philosophical positions, the paradigmatic case being the casual request for directions from a random stranger. The present paper analyzes the use of such examples in the early controversy between reductionists and anti-reductionists about testimonial justification. The controversy concerned, on the one hand, the source of whatever epistemic justification our testimony-based beliefs might have, and, on the other hand, the phenomenology of testimonial acceptance and rejection. As it turns out, appeal to “null setting” cases did not resolve, but instead deepened, the theoretical disputes between reductionists and anti-reductionists. This, it is suggested, is because interpreters ‘fill in’ missing details in ways that reflect their own peculiarities in perspective, experience, upbringing, and philosophical outlook. In response, two remedial strategies have been pursued in recent years: First, we could invert the usual strategy and turn to formal contexts, rather than informal settings, as the paradigmatic scenarios for any prospective epistemology of testimony. Second, instead of “null setting” scenarios, we can focus on richly described cases that either include, or are embedded into, sufficient contextual information to allow for educated judgments concerning the reliability and trustworthiness of the testimony and testifiers involved. The prospects of both of these approaches are then discussed and evaluated.

Réflexions Sur la Théorie de L'article de Gustave Guillaume

1986 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-151
Author(s):  
Stanislaw Karolak
Keyword(s):  
Functional Calculus ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Sharp Contrast ◽  
The Other ◽  
Applied Method ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Classical Work ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Semantic Properties

This paper is concerned with the analysis of the theory of the French article presented in the classical work by Guillaume "Le problème de l'article et sa solution dans la langue française". The paper emphasizes Guillaume's search for the semantic nature of the relationships determining the distribution of articles. The paper supports Guillaume, who seems to claim, contrary to what is commonly believed, that the function of the articles is non inherent in them, but that it is determined by the semantic properties of the nouns which select them. Treating this claim as the starting point, the paper focuses on the analysis of various senses of noun phrases, carried out in terms of the functional calculus. The applied method invalidates the extensional theory of the noun accepted by Guillaume, as well as a number of generalisations made by him. The paper shows logical and semantic conditions of some rules governing the use of the article. They differ from those proposed by Guillaume in that they seem to reach a deeper level of linguistic mechanisms. On the other hand, the emphasis is laid on Guillaume's subtle analysis and detailed observations, which stand in a sharp contrast to his rather vague generalizations.

METAPHORICAL CHAINS AND REFERENCE USAGE IN NEWSPAPERS: A MECHANISM FOR TEXTUAL COHESION

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-72
Author(s):  
Giacomo Ferrari ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrases ◽  
The Other ◽  
Source Domain ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Pronominal Anaphora ◽  
Textual Cohesion ◽  
Entire Text ◽  
Global Cohesion

This article examines the phenomenon of metaphor in newspapers, focusing on the use of multiple metaphors of the same type used to form a coherent chain. These metaphoric chains are treated within the frame of Halliday’s Systemic Function Grammar (SFG) as a feature of textual cohesion. The different cohesion features recognised by SFG are briefly presented. Features including pronominal anaphora, ellipsis, and reference by definite noun phrases are, in different studies, believed to play the same role as generic ‘referencing’. On the other hand, as different words or expressions chosen within the same source domain, metaphoric chains are connected to the feature of lexical cohesion. They form a single network of links through the entire text, guaranteeing global cohesion. Many questions are left unanswered and thus the conclusions advocate for an extensive corpus-based study aimed at accounting for the relation of the two phenomena and the cultural motivations of the use of metaphors.

The evidential and doxastic dimensions of the Basque particle bide

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 41-60
Author(s):  
Kepa Korta ◽  
Larraitz Zubeldia
Keyword(s):  
Illocutionary Force ◽  
The Other ◽  
Semantic Meaning ◽  
Truth Conditions ◽  
Degree Of Belief ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Semantics And Pragmatics ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The One

Two kinds of meanings are usually associated to the Basque particle bide.1 On the one hand, it has been taken to point to the indirect nature of the speaker’s evidence for the truth of the proposition put forward. According to this view, it would be a sort of inferential particle. On the other hand, bide has been associated to the expression of a certain degree of belief or certainty on the truth of the proposition. This double dimension of bide resembles various aspects of the meaning and use of another Basque particle – omen. The morpho-syntactic behaviour of these two particles is practically identical, and their semantics and pragmatics invite a close comparison. Thus, starting from our conclusions regarding omen, we explore the similarities and differences between both particles. We find two main differences. First, bide encodes a doxastic dimension that is absent from the semantic meaning of omen. And, second, bide can be taken to be an illocutionary force indicator that does not contribute to the proposition expressed, while omen does contribute to the truth-conditions of the utterance.

scholarly journals Hindi nominal suffixes are bimorphemic: A Distributed Morphology analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Yash Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
The Other ◽  
Distributed Morphology ◽  
Morphological Operations ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Morphology Analysis ◽  
Adjectival Inflection ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Right ◽  
Phonological Rules

This paper provides a Distributed Morphology (DM) analysis for Hindi nominal (noun and adjectival) inflection. Contra Singh & Sarma (2010), I argue that nominal suffixes contain two morphemes – a basic morpheme, and a restrictedly distributed additional morpheme. The presence of two different morphemes is especially evident when one compares noun and adjectival inflectional suffixes, which Singh & Sarma (2010) do not, since they only look at noun inflection.  I also show that the so-called adjectival inflectional suffixes are not limited to adjectives, and may occur on nouns, provided the noun is not at the right edge of the noun phrase. On the other hand, the regular noun inflection is only limited to nouns at the right edge of the noun phrase. This is demonstrated using a type of coordinative compound found in Hindi. Then, I take the fact that nouns can take either the regular noun inflection or the so-called “adjectival” inflection as motivation for a unified analysis for both sets of suffixes. I demonstrate that after undoing certain phonological rules, the difference between the “adjectival” and regular noun inflectional suffixes can be summarized by saying that the additional morpheme only surfaces in the regular noun inflectional suffixes. Finally, I provide vocabulary entries and morphological operations that can capture the facts about the distribution of the various basic and additional morphemes.

scholarly journals Sentence Length and NP Complexity of General and Medical Written Academic and Media Texts. An Analysis Using a Trained Syntactic Parser.

10.29007/gr8r ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Herrero Zorita ◽  
Antonio Moreno-Sandoval
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Sentence Length ◽  
The Other ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Media Texts ◽  
Written Sources

The main objective of this work is to perform a comparative analysis of sentence and main noun phrases complexity in two different types of discourses, written media and academic prose, using a trained syntactic parser (Stanford PCFG Parser). For this purpose, we have selected three written sources: a general media corpus, a medical media subcorpus and a medical academic prose subcorpus. From a total of more than 160000 sentences, we have carefully selected as the study sample a total of 300, which have been morphologically and syntactically annotated.Influenced by other studies related to syntax and statistics, our hypothesis is that NPs from academic prose and written media will contain four or more words, and those belonging to academic prose will be larger than the latter. The NPs studied are those that perform the main functions of the clause: subject, object (direct and indirect), attribute and time expressions. The results show a confirmation of our hypothesis. The academic subcorpus has the longest sentences and more complex NPs than the other texts. On the other hand, written media corpora achieve smaller NPs but their results are quite similar.

scholarly journals Applicatives

Linguistics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
The Other ◽  
First Person ◽  
Multiple Objects ◽  
Theoretical Literature ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Applicative Constructions ◽  
The Status ◽  
Base Object

Applicative constructions (henceforth, “applicatives”) allow languages to express what otherwise would be expressed as an oblique participant as a core object participant. For instance, in Hakha Lai, a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in western Burma, a comitative participant (“with X”) may be obliquely marked, as in the sentence lawthlawpaa=hee ka-kal “I went with the farmer.” In this sentence an oblique comitative is expressed via the clitic postposition =hee (“with”). The verb stem kal “go” is prefixed with a first-person singular participant marker, ka-. Hakha Lai alternatively may express comitative participants by means of a bare, non-oblique object noun phrase, as in the sentence lawthlawpaa ka-kal-pii “I went with the farmer.” In this version, note that the verb is suffixed by -pii, the comitative applicative marker. We can refer to the object in the second sentence as the applicative object. The oblique comitative in the first sentence is syntactically distinct from a normal transitive object in many respects; the comitative in the second sentence, on the other hand, is syntactically identical to a normal transitive object. The term “applicative” is also used for cases in which only the verbally marked variant is possible, although not all researchers would regard such formations as true applicatives. More recently, the term “applicative” has been extended (in the Generative theoretical literature) to refer to other cases of constructions involving multiple objects, including instances where there is no verbal applicative marker and even instances where the objects in question do not bear the same case. Much of the research on applicatives has focused on aspects of their synchronic morphosyntax. In particular, treatments of the phenomenon in specific languages have concentrated on the status of the object that appears in the applicative with respect to an alternative oblique instantiation for such a participant and with respect to normal transitive objects. A further major issue has been the status of additional objects, including the object representing a P participant associated with the basic predicate, widely referred to as the base object, vis-à-vis an applicative object, or the object associated with the applicative marking morphology. A handful of studies have attempted to treat the grammaticalization sources for applicative constructions, in particular the morphology signaling the construction on the verb. Finally, a few studies have attempted to evaluate the function of applicatives in running discourse.

scholarly journals Pronominale demonstrativer: nye perspektiver fra norsk og svensk

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-224
Author(s):  
Kari Kinn ◽  
Ida Larsson
Keyword(s):  
19Th Century ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
The Other ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
Different Parts ◽  
The Way

This paper is concerned with pronominal demonstatives (referred to as psychologically distal demonstratives by Johannessen 2008a, b) in older Norwegian spoken language, and written Swedish from the 19th century and the present-day. We show that pronominal demonstratives can be attested in speakers born in different parts of Norway in the 19th century, and in Swedish texts from the same period. However, the pronominal forms do not seem to be used in precisely the same way in the two languages. In Swedish, han/hon ‘he/she’ do not seem to behave formally like demonstratives. Instead, we propose that they are syntactically reduced pronouns at the edge of the DP, above the position for demonstratives, and that they double features lower down in the noun phrase. In Norwegian, on the other hand, han/hun are used as demonstratives already in the 19th century, in the way described for present-day Norwegian by Johannessen (2008a, b).

scholarly journals URUTAN DAN BENTUK KONSTITUEN KLAUSA BAHASA PRANCIS DAN BAHASA INDONESIA

Diksi ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marliza Arsiyana ◽  
Pratomo Widodo
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Research Data ◽  
The Other ◽  
Victor Hugo ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Object A ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Prepositional Object ◽  
Bahasa Indonesia

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan persamaan dan perbedaan urutan dan bentuk konstituen klausa dengan memokuskan pada klausa transitif BP dan BI berikut frase nominalnya sebagai argumen dalam klausa. Sumber data penelitian ini berupa teks tulis, yakni novel Le Dernier Jour d’Un Condamné karangan Victor Hugo dan terjemahannya oleh Lady Lesmana dengan judul “Hari Terakhir Seorang Terpidana Mati”. Metode analisis data menggunakan metode agih. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan urutan dasar klausa BP dan BI bertipe sama, yaitu verba mendahului objek. Perbedaannya pada sifat argumen objek. Pada BP objek berpreposisi termasuk dalam konstituen inti sedangkan dalam BI termasuk konstituen periferal. Pada BP, konstituen  Nod dan Np yang berupa pronominal berada di depan  verba, sedangkan dalam BI konstituen Nod dan Noi selalu di belakang verba. Pada tataran frase nominal, perbedaan terletak pada urutan modifikator demonstratif, dan pronomina persona. Pada BP sebelum nomina inti, sedangkan pada BI setelah nomina inti. Modifikator ekasilaba dan dwisilaba dalam BP terletak di depan nomina inti, sedangkan adjektiva yang lebih dari dua silaba, dan adjektiva yang berkaitan dengan warna, agama, dan verba partisif terletak di belakang nomina inti. Sementara itu, adjektiva dalam BI terletak setelah nomina inti.Kata Kunci: urutan dan bentuk konstituen, klausa, frase nomina, sintaks WORDS ORDERS IN FRENCH AND BAHASA INDONESIA CLAUSESABSTRACTThis research aims at analyzing the similarities and differences of the words orders and their forms in the transitive clauses and its argument, noun phrases, between French and Bahasa Indonesia. The research data resources are taken from written texts i.e.: The novel Le dernier jour d’un comdamné à mort by Victor Hugo and its translation Hari Terakhir Seorang Terpidana Mati by Lady Lesmana. This research uses “segmenting immediate constituent technique” to analyse the data. The result shows that French and Bahasa Indonesia have the same basic words orders in transitive clauses, i.e. verbs precede the object. The differences are found in the characteristic of the object. A prepositional object in French is categorized as the main argument, while in Bahasa Indonesia it is a peripheral argument. The position of Nod and Np constituent, which are pronominal, in French precedes the verb, whereas, in Bahasa Indonesia, they are always placed after the verb. Regarding the noun phrase, the differences are found at the position of demonstrative and possessive modifiers. Their position in French is placed before the main noun, while in Bahasa Indonesia after the main noun. The adjectives with one or two syllables are placed before the main noun and the adjectives with more than two syllables or the adjective related to color, religion, and participles are placed after the main noun. On the other hand, adjective in Bahasa Indonesia is always placed after the main noun.Keywords: words orders and form, clause, noun phrase, syntax

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