Contains research objectives.National Science Foundatio

Yngve, V. H.

Contains reports on four research projects.National Science Foundatio

DSpace@MIT

XIV. MECHANICAL TRANSLATIONV. H. Yngve D. A. Dinneen G. H. MatthewsJ. R. Applegate J. Gough, Jr. t A. B. PhillipsJ. S. Bross Renata A. Hofman S. RogovintElinor K. Charney E. S. Klima R. A. RothsteinA. N. Chomsky (Absent) K. C. Knowlton J. ViertelW. S. Cooper R. H. WhitmanA. A MODEL AND A HYPOTHESIS FOR LANGUAGE STRUCTUREA simple model for the production of sentences consists of a mechanism that appliesthe unordered rules of a phrase-structure grammar. Each rule labels a constructionand specifies its constituents. The order of application of the rules is such that themorphemes are produced one at a time in the same time sequence in which they wouldoccur in an utterance. Although there are a finite number of rules in the grammar,they may be reapplied, to yield clauses within clauses. In this way there is no limit tothe length of sentence that can be produced.The mechanism operates with a temporary memory in which constituent symbolsare stored until it is their turn to be expanded. Even though the storage device is finite,indefinitely long sentences may be produced. The production of a sentence will neverrequire more than a limited amount of temporary storage if a certain severe restrictionis placed on the grammar rules. This restriction is that a rule may be reapplied onlyif the successive applications are connected in the tree of successive immediate con-stituents through a chain of extreme-right constituents. This simple model is thus afinite-state device.We advance the hypothesis, to be tested, that all languages tend to conform to thisrestriction, and that a careful examination of their syntaxes will reveal (a) devices toeffectively circumvent the concomitant restriction on their power of expression, and(b) devices to enforce the restriction. An examination of English shows that (a) canexplain much of the complexity of its syntax, and that (b) can explain the ungrammatical-ness of many otherwise plausible sequences of morphemes.V. H. YngveThis work was supported in part by National Science Foundation.tOn leave from Georgia Institute of Technology.On leave from Columbia University.157

Mechanical Translation

XX. MECHANICAL TRANSLATIONYngveApplegateChomsky (Absent)CooperU. C. DickmanD. A. DinneenE. S. KlimaK. C. KnowltonG. H. MatthewsR. A. RothsteinJ. ViertelRESEARCH OBJECTIVESThe primary objective of this research program is to find out how languages can betranslated by machine. Secondary objectives are concerned with evaluating the fidelitythat can be achieved, the usefulness of the translations for various purposes, and theircost. A further objective is to add to the general knowledge of noncomputational usesof digital computing machinery and to the basic understanding of human communication.V. H. YngveThis work was supported in part by National Science Foundation.152V. H.J. R.A. N.W. S.

http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/1721.1/52237/1/RLE_QPR_052_XX.pdf

Mechanical Translation

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DSpace@MIT

DSpace@MIT