Seeing the language: a diagrammatic approach to natural discourse (original) (raw)

Diagrammatic Exploration of Some Concepts in Linguistics

This paper aims to strengthen the relationship between the fields of computer science and linguistics, as they share common problems, especially in the area of natural language understanding. The paper explores some issues in linguistics, including the notion of telic and atelic predicates, in an attempt to understand and enhance knowledge about natural language. A diagrammatic tool for computer science is utilized to comprehend and interpret linguistics concepts. The resulting representation is an example of its use as an apparatus for clarifying linguistics writings for computer scientists.

Towards a Typology of Diagrams in Linguistics

Diagrammatic Representation and Inference, 2018

The aim of this paper is to lay out the foundations of a typology of diagrams in linguistics. We draw a distinction between linguistic parameters-concerning what information is being represented-and diagrammatic parameters-concerning how it is represented. The six binary linguistic parameters of the typology are: (i) mono-versus multilingual, (ii) static versus dynamic, (iii) mono-versus multimodular, (iv) object-level versus meta-level, (v) qualitative versus quantitative, and (vi) mono-versus interdisciplinary. The two diagrammatic parameters are (i) iconic/concrete versus symbolic/abstract representation and (ii) static versus dynamic representation. We briefly illustrate how different types of linguistic diagrams can be analysed in terms of the interaction between the linguistic and the diagrammatic parameters.

Sentence diagrams: their evaluation and combination

Proceedings of LAW VIII - The 8th Linguistic Annotation Workshop, 2014

The purpose of our work is to explore the possibility of using sentence diagrams produced by schoolchildren as training data for automatic syntactic analysis. We have implemented a sentence diagram editor that schoolchildren can use to practice morphology and syntax. We collect their diagrams, combine them into a single diagram for each sentence and transform them into a form suitable for training a particular syntactic parser. In this study, the object language is Czech, where sentence diagrams are part of elementary school curriculum, and the target format is the annotation scheme of the Prague Dependency Treebank. We mainly focus on the evaluation of individual diagrams and on their combination into a merged better version.

Diagramming Grammatical and Lexical Aspect

Studies in African Linguistics

The interaction of grammatical aspect and lexical aspect has been a topic of interest to linguists for many years, yet only recently has more attention been focused on this topic specifically in relation to Bantu languages. The difficulty of mapping Bantu actional types onto the commonly accepted categorizations has resulted in new frameworks being proposed to take these complex lexicalisations into account. In this paper, we use Croft’s (2012) two-dimensional diagrammatic representations of events to represent the aspectual contour encoded by certain predicates in the South Tanzanian Bantu language Bungu [wun]. We investigate the semantics of the Progressive, Anterior, and Resultative aspects in Bungu, and by identifying the phases within each aspectual contour that are profiled by each of these grammatical aspects, we show that the particular interpretation of each aspect depends on the type of predicate that it modifies. By using Croft’s diagrammatic representations of events to ...

Introducing the diagrammatic semiotic mode

arXiv (Cornell University), 2020

As the use and diversity of diagrams across many disciplines grows, there is an increasing interest in the diagrams research community concerning how such diversity might be documented and explained. In this article, we argue that one way of achieving increased reliability, coverage, and utility for a general classification of diagrams is to draw on recently developed semiotic principles developed within the field of multimodality. To this end, we sketch out the internal details of what may tentatively be termed the diagrammatic semiotic mode. This provides a natural account of how diagrammatic representations may integrate natural language, various forms of graphics, diagrammatic elements such as arrows, lines and other expressive resources into coherent organisations, while still respecting the crucial diagrammatic contributions of visual organisation. We illustrate the proposed approach using two recent diagram corpora and show how a multimodal approach supports the empirical analysis of diagrammatic representations, especially in identifying diagrammatic constituents and describing their interrelations in a manner that may be generalised across diagram types and be used to characterise distinct kinds of functionality.

Automatic referent resolution of deictic and anaphoric expressions

Computational Linguistics, 1995

Deictic and anaphoric expressions frequently cause problems for natural language analysis. In this paper we present a single model that accounts for referent resolution of deictic and anaphoric expressions in a research prototype of a multimodal user interface called EDWARD. The linguistic expressions are keyed in by a user and are possibly accompanied by pointing gestures. The proposed model for reference resolution elaborates on notions of context factors and salience and integrates both linguistic and perceptual context effects. The model is contrasted with two alternative referent resolution models, namely, a simplistic one and the more sophisticated model proposed by . Based on empirical and analytical grounds, we conclude that the model we propose is preferable from a computational and engineering point of view.

The Image of Grammar and the Grammar of Image

Przekładaniec

The paper deals with the relation between verbal expressions and mental images. As claimed by cognitive linguists, "understanding a verbal message" requires that two kinds of mental imagery be evoked: rich images, which are encoded in individual lexemes, and schematic images, conventionally related to grammatical structures. Based upon this principle, an analysis of a Polish poem and its English translation is carried out, in order to demonstrate that a complicated interplay between the two kinds of mental imagery underlies the texts and accounts for their interpretation.

The Syntax of Spatial Anaphora

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive Minimalist analysis of the apparent free variation between pronouns and anaphors in snake-sentences. Three sets of data provide the basis for the analysis: hitherto unobserved restrictions on quantifier-pronoun relationships, classical observations about the role of perspective or point of view , and interpretive effects concerning the nature of the locative relationship . We propose an analysis of spatial prepositions in terms of Svenonius' (2006) AxPartP. Spatial interpretations may be object-centered or observer-centered. We correlate these two interpretations with two distinct grammatical representations. The object-centered interpretation involves an Agree relation between AxPart and the complement of P, the observer-centered interpretation is the result of a binding relationship between AxPart and the Speaker, represented in Mood Evid P. An Agree relation requires the presence of the complex anaphor himself, whereas binding of AxPart by the Speaker is only compatible with the pronoun him.

Introducing the diagrammatic mode

ArXiv, 2020

In this article, we propose a multimodal perspective to diagrammatic representations by sketching a description of what may be tentatively termed the diagrammatic mode. We consider diagrammatic representations in the light of contemporary multimodality theory and explicate what enables diagrammatic representations to integrate natural language, various forms of graphics, diagrammatic elements such as arrows, lines and other expressive resources into coherent organisations. We illustrate the proposed approach using two recent diagram corpora and show how a multimodal approach supports the empirical analysis of diagrammatic representations, especially in identifying diagrammatic constituents and describing their interrelations.