Analysis of Machine Translation Systems\u27 Errors in Tense, Aspect, and Modality

PACLIC 19 / Taipei, taiwan / December 1-3, 200

The role of linguistics in language teaching: the case of two, less widely taught languages - Finnish and Hungarian

This paper discusses the role of various linguistic sub-disciplines in teaching Finnish and Hungarian. We explain the status of Finnish and Hungarian at University College London and in the UK, and present the principle difficulties in learning and teaching these two languages. We also introduce our courses and student profiles. With the support of examples from our own teaching, we argue that a linguistically oriented approach is well suited for less widely used and less taught languages as it enables students to draw comparative and historical parallels, question terminologies and raise their sociolinguistic and pragmatic awareness. A linguistic approach also provides students with skills for further language learning

Tense Realization in V + -Sooda Complex Predicates

本稿は、日本語の複雑述語「V + -そうだ」のV と「-そうだ」の間に介在する時制の形態素の有無、あるいは、分布を観察し、その有無／分布と「-そうだ」補部の埋め込み節の統語的意味的特徴との相関性を考察する。最初に、連用形のV に「-そうだ」が接辞する形を観察する。Vの描く出来事の開始直前の状況が観察可能なとき、その「-そうだ」はアスペクト補助動詞と分析し、補部をVP とする。次に、「V-て（い）-そうだ」の文を観察し、この「-そうだ」は話者が同時に起きている他所の状況を「推測」する法助動詞であることを示す。またこの同時点の「推測」は、「-て」を時制と仮定する先行研究を参考に、「-そうだ」補部のTP (/AspP) がもたらす解釈であると仮定する。最後に、「V-｛る/た｝-そうだ」の文について、この「-そうだ」は先行研究に従って終止形を伴う「伝聞」の法助動詞とし、pro 主語とCP 補部を伴うことを述べる。This paper deals with some V + -sooda complex predicates, and considers the relationship between the realization of tense morphemes in the predicates and the syntactic and semantic properties of the phrases which -sooda embeds. First, we will see the V-sooda form, which has no tense morpheme between V and -sooda. I will claim that the -sooda can function as an aspectual auxiliary, and it embeds VP as its complement, when the situation just before the event of V is observable. Next, we will see the V-te(-i)-sooda form, which has a tense morpheme (or the sequence of a tense and an aspectual morphemes), -te(-i), between V and -sooda. This -sooda functions as a suppositional modal auxiliary, embedding TP (/AspP)in its complement position. I will quote a previous study which claims that -te is a tense morpeme, and further assume that it does not fix its tense as past/nonpast. Because of the temporal property of -te, the speech time of -sooda covers the embedded clause, which leads to the reading of simultaneity. Finally, we willsee the V-ru/-ta-sooda form. The -sooda has been defined as an evidential modal auxiliary, and it is claimed that the embedded phrase of the -sooda is CP

Typologies of agreement: some problems from Kayardild

In this paper I describe a number of agreement-type phenomena in the Australian language Kayardild, and assess them against existing definitions, stating both the boundaries of what is to be considered agreement, and characteristics of prototypical agreement phenomena. Though conforming, prima facie, to definitions of agreement that stress semantically based covariance in inflections on different words, the Kayardild phenomena considered here pose a number of challenges to accepted views of agreement: the rich possibilities for stacking case-like agreement inflections emanating from different syntactic levels, the fact that inflections resulting from agreement may change the word class of their host, and the semantic categories involved, in particular tense/aspect/mood, which have been claimed not to be agreement categories on nominals. Two types of inflection, in particular - 'modal case' and 'associating case' - lie somewhere between prototypical agreement and prototypical government. Like agreement, but unlike government, they are triggered by inflectional rather than lexical features of the head, and appear on more than one constituent; like government, but unlike agreement, the semantic categories on head and dependent are not isomorphic. Other types of inflection, though unusual in the categories involved, the possibility of recursion, and their effects on the host's word class, are close to prototypical in terms of how they fare in Corbett's proposed tests for canonical agreement

Analyzing meaning: An introduction to semantics and pragmatics. Second corrected and slightly revised edition

This book provides an introduction to the study of meaning in human language, from a linguistic perspective. It covers a fairly broad range of topics, including lexical semantics, compositional semantics, and pragmatics. The chapters are organized into six units: (1) Foundational concepts; (2) Word meanings; (3) Implicature (including indirect speech acts); (4) Compositional semantics; (5) Modals, conditionals, and causation; (6) Tense & aspect. Most of the chapters include exercises which can be used for class discussion and/or homework assignments, and each chapter contains references for additional reading on the topics covered. As the title indicates, this book is truly an INTRODUCTION: it provides a solid foundation which will prepare students to take more advanced and specialized courses in semantics and/or pragmatics. It is also intended as a reference for fieldworkers doing primary research on under-documented languages, to help them write grammatical descriptions that deal carefully and clearly with semantic issues. The approach adopted here is largely descriptive and non-formal (or, in some places, semi-formal), although some basic logical notation is introduced. The book is written at level which should be appropriate for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students. It presupposes some previous coursework in linguistics, but does not presuppose any background in formal logic or set theory.   This is a revised version of http://langsci-press.org/catalog/book/14

A survey of studies in systemic functional language description and typology

Version of RecordPublishe