Roland Hausser



A Computational Model
of Natural Language
Communication
Interpretation, Inference, and Production
in Database Semantics




4y Springer
Contents




Introduction                                                          •.
                                                                       -   1


Part I. The Communication Mechanism of Cognition

1.   Matters of Method                                                      9
     1.1 Sign- or Agent-Oriented Analysis of Language?                      9
     1.2 Verification Principle                                            11
     1.3 Equation Principle                                                13
     1.4 Objectivation Principle                                           14
     1.5 Equivalence Principles for Interfaces and for Input/Output        16
     1.6 Surface Compositionality and Time-Linearity                       17

2.   Interfaces and Components                                             21
     2.1 Cognitive Agents with and without Language                        21
     2.2 Modalities and Media                                              23
     2.3 Alternative Ontologies for Referring with Language                25
     2.4 Theory of Language and Theory of Grammar                          26
     2.5 Immediate Reference and Mediated Reference                        27
     2.6 The S LIM Theory of Language                                      29

3.   Data Structure and Algorithm                                          35
     3.1 Proplets for Coding Propositional Content                         35
     3.2 Internal Matching between Language and Context Proplets           36
     3.3 Storage of Proplets in a Word Bank                                38
     3.4 Time-Linear Algorithm of LA-Grammar                               40
     3.5 Cycle of Natural Language Communication                           43
     3.6 Bare Bone Example of Database Semantics: DBS-letter               46

4.   Concept Types and Concept Tokens                                      51
     4.1 Kinds of Proplets                                                 51
     4.2 Type-Token Relation for Establishing Reference                    54
     4.3 Context Recognition                                               57
X      Contents

     4.4 Context Action                                                             58
     4.5 Sign Recognition and Production                                            59
     4.6 Universal versus Language-Dependent Properties                             61

5.   Forms of Thinking                                                              65
     5.1 Retrieving Answers to Questions                                            65
     5.2 Episodic versus Absolute Propositions                                      69
     5.3 Inference: Reconstructing Modus Ponens                                     71
     5.4 Indirect Uses of Language                                                  75
     5.5 Secondary Coding as Perspective Taking                                     78
     5.6 Shades of Meaning                                                          79


Part II. The Major Constructions of Natural Language

6.   Intrapropositional Functor-Argument Structure                                   87
     6.1 Overview                                                                    87
     6.2 Determiners                                                                 89
     6.3 Adjectives                                           '                      94
     6.4 Auxiliaries                                                                 97
     6.5 Passive                                                                     98
     6.6 Prepositions                                                               100

7.   Extrapropositional Functor-Argument Structure                                  103
     7.1 Overview                                                                   103
     7.2 Sentential Argument as Subject                                             105
     7.3 Sentential Argument as Object                                              107
     7.4 Adnominal Sentential Modifier with Subject Gap                             108
     7.5 Adnominal Sentential Modifier with Object Gap                              Ill
     7.6 Adverbial Sentential Modifier                                              112

8.   Intrapropositional Coordination                                                115
     8.1 Overview                                                                   115
     8.2 Simple Coordination of Nouns in Subject and Object Position                118
     8.3 Simple Coordination of Verbs and of Adjectives                             123
     8.4 Complex Coordination of Verbs and Objects: Subject Gapping                 126
     8.5 Complex Coordination of Subjects and Objects: Verb Gapping                 130
     8.6 Complex Coordination of Subjects and Verbs: Object Gapping                 133

9.   Extrapropositional Coordination                                                137
     9.1 Overview                                                                   137
     9.2 Interpretation and Production of Extrapropositional Coordination . . . .   138
     9.3 Simple Coordinations as Sentential Arguments and Modifiers                 141
                                                                 Contents    XI

    9.4 Complex Coordinations as Sentential Arguments and Modifiers         147
    9.5 Turn-Taking in Questions and Answers                                153
    9.6 Complex Propositions as Thought Structures                          157

10. Intrapropositional and Extrapropositional Coreference                   161
    10.1 Overview                                                           161
    10.2 Intrapropositional Coreference                                     163
    10.3 Langacker-Ross Constraint for Sentential Arguments                 165
    10.4 Langacker-Ross Constraint for Adnominal Sentential Modifiers       168
    10.5 Langacker-Ross Constraint for Adverbial Sentential Modifiers       171
    10.6 Handling Pronominal Coreference by Means of Inference              174


Part III. The Declarative Specification of Formal Fragments

11. D BS.l: Hearer Mode                                                     183
    11.1 Automatic Word Form Recognition                                    183
    11.2 Lexicon of LA-hear.l                                               185
    11.3 Preamble of LA-hear.l                                              187
    11.4 Definition of LA-hear.l                                            188
    11.5 Interpreting a Sequence of Sentences                               191
    11.6 Storing the Output of LA-hear.l in a Word Bank                     195

12. D BS.l: Speaker Mode                                                    197
    12.1 Definition of LA-think.l                                           197
    12.2 Navigating with LA-think.l                                         199
    12.3 Automatic Word Form Production                                     202
    12.4 Definition of LA-speak.l                                           203
    12.5 Producing a Sequence of Sentences                                  204
    12.6 Summarizing the DBS.1 System                                       207

13. DBS.2: Hearer Mode                                                      209
    13.1 Lexicon of LA-hear.2                                               209
    13.2 Preamble and Definition of LA-hear.2                               216
    13.3 Interpreting a Sentence with Complex Noun Phrases                  220
    13.4 Interpreting a Sentence with a Complex Verb Phrase                 226
    13.5 Interpreting a Sentence with a Three-Place Verb                    229
    13.6 Storing the Output of LA-hear.2 in a Word Bank                     234

14. DBS.2: Speaker Mode                                                     237
    14.1 Definition of LA-think.2                                           237
    14.2 Definition of LA-speak.2                                           240
    14.3 Automatic Word Form Production                                     243
XII     Contents

      14.4 Producing a Sentence with Complex Noun Phrases              249
      14.5 Producing a Sentence with a Complex Verb Phrase             254
      14.6 Producing a Sentence with a Three-Place Verb                258

15. DBS.3: Adnominal and Adverbial Modifiers                           263
    15.1 Interpreting Elementary and Complex Modifiers                 263
    15.2 ADN and ADA Interpretations of Prepositional Phrases          272
    15.3 ADV Interpretation of Prepositional Phrases                   277
    15.4 Intensifies in Noun Phrases and Prepositional Phrases         282
    15.5 Elementary Adverbs with Intensifiers                          288
    15.6 Definition of LA-hear.3                                       291


Appendices

A. Universal Basis of Word Order Variation                             303
   A.I Overview of the Basic Railroad System                           303
   A.2 Incremental Language Production Based on Navigation             307
   A.3 Realizing Alternative Word Orders from One-Place Propositions   310
   A.4 Realizing Basic SO Word Orders from Two-Place Propositions      312
   A.5 Realizing OS Word Orders from Alternative Navigations           316
   A.6 Realizing Basic Word Orders from Three-Place Propositions       318

B. Declarative Description of the Motor Procedure                      321
   B.I Start State Application                                         321
   B.2 Matching between Proplet Patterns and Language Proplets         324
   B.3 Time-Linear Breadth-First Derivation Order                      326
   B.4 Rule Application and the Basic Structure of the LA-Hear Motor   327
   B.5 Operations                                                      330
   B.6 Basic Structure of the LA-Think and the LA-Think-Speak Motor    332

C. Glossary                                                            335
   C.I Proplet Attributes                                              335
   C.2 Proplet Values                                                  335
   C.3 Variables, Restrictions, and Agreement Conditions               337
   C.4 Abstract Surfaces                                               339
   C.5 Rule Names                                                      339
   C.6 List of Analyzed Examples                                       341

Bibliography                                                           347
Name Index                                                             357
Subject Index                                                    .,    361