On the learnability of a version of generalized phrase structure grammar.
Item
-
Title
-
On the learnability of a version of generalized phrase structure grammar.
-
Identifier
-
AAI9108147
-
identifier
-
9108147
-
Creator
-
Maxfield, Thomas Lane.
-
Contributor
-
Adviser: Janet Dean Fodor
-
Date
-
1990
-
Language
-
English
-
Publisher
-
City University of New York.
-
Subject
-
Language, Linguistics
-
Abstract
-
This study contains an in depth look at GKPS' version of GPSG, which is impressive in the scope of its coverage of English and in the interrelatedness of the principles proposed. It is however also highly complex. It is argued that we can greatly reduce much of that complexity if, following Shieber (1986), we impose an ordering on the principles, rather than allowing them to apply simultaneously as GKPS did. This forces us to reject GKPS' view that the various principles only check feature values in favor of the view that the principles actually supply the features.;It is shown that Shieber follows GKPS too closely and that other changes are needed, not only to achieve simplicity but also to maintain descriptive adequacy. The ordering which is developed leads to the conclusion that non-default values must be inherited from the ID rule and that there is almost no 'free instantiation'. Instead, the principles of UFI are procedures that copy feature values from one node to another, within a local tree.;The CAP, which is the locus of much of the complexity of GKPS, is examined. GKPS use the CAP in describing many different linguistic phenomena. It is argued that the grammar can be simplified, and more realistic generalizations can be expressed, by separating the analyses that the CAP collapses. Once this is done, the principles of UFI become very similar: they copy features from the mother to daughter.;This theory is very similar to the theory argued for by Fodor and Crain (in press), the difference being that they arrive at their conclusions based on learnability considerations. We then examine the changes that must be made to make the theory proposed here compatible with Fodor and Crain and hence learnable. The only changes required are elimination the parochial constraints. Once this is done it was shown that the grammar proposed here for English could be learned by a child, assuming no negative data and a general, symbol counting simplicity metric.
-
Type
-
dissertation
-
Source
-
PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
-
degree
-
Ph.D.
