HPSG Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Passive constructions are perhaps the most widely studied grammatical phenomena within generative grammar. Typological studies describe the wide variety of features of passive constructions cross-linguistically, and both typological and acquisition studies offer insight into the relative markedness of these constructions. This dissertation has the goal of investigating the nature of membership within the category “passive” and cross-linguistic comparison of constructions, “passive” and otherwise.
Amodel of universal passive typeswithin the framework ofHead-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG) is presented. This is accomplished by proposing a set of type definitions, characterizing both the relatively unmarked and relatively marked features of passive constructions. This provides some granularity in the passive’s characterization, but does not model the markedness of these features with respect to each other. To that end, preference principles in the construction of passive type matrices in HPSG are introduced: a metagrammar provided by Universal Grammar describing the markedness of each type with respect to its supertype. The resulting system models a passive prototype within HPSG.
Topicality measures were collected from the Uppsala Corpus of Russian for passive and active uses of the Russian verbs pisat’/napisat’ ‘to write,’ davat’/dat’ ‘to give,’ and zabyvat’/zabyt’ ‘to forget.’ Croft’s (2001) notion of plotting constructions in “conceptual space” is exploited as a means of cross-linguistic comparison using these topicality measures.
Examining the conceptual space of various voice constructions with these Russian verbs, Croft’s generalizations are upheld, their position being consistent whether Referential Distance or Topic Persistence is used as a measure. Finally, data from other typological discourse studies is plotted, noting where various voice constructions pattern, and how this data fits into Croft’s model.

- by Patrick M Murphy
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- Syntax, Linguistics, Language Typology, Russian linguistics

This chapter discusses the main tenets of Construction Grammar (CxG) and shows that HPSG adheres to them. The discussion includes surface orientation, language acquisition without UG, and inheritance networks and shows how HPSG (and other frameworks) are positioned along these dimensions. Formal variants of CxG will be briefly discussed and their relation to HPSG will be pointed out. It is argued that lexical representations of valence are more appropriate than phrasal approaches, which are assumed in most variants of CxG. Other areas of grammar seem to require headless phrasal constructions (e.g. the NPN construction and certain extraction constructions) and it is shown how HPSG handles these. Derivational morphology is discussed as a further example of an early constructionist analysis in HPSG.

- by Stefan Müller
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- Syntax, Morphology, Construction Grammar, Theoretical Linguistics
- by Fabiola Henri
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- Morphological evolution, Morphology, Pidgin and Creole Languages, HPSG
- by Markus J . Weininger
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- German Language, Syntax, HPSG, Complex Predicates

Harga Perkiraan Sendiri (HPS) atau Owner Estimate (OE) adalah perkiraan harga pengadaan barang/jasa yang dianalisa secara profesional dan disyahkan oleh eksekutif yang memiliki otoritas. Owner Estimate (OE) berfungsi berbagai acuan dalam melakukan evaluasi harga penawaran barang dan jasa dengan tujuan untuk mendapatkan harga penawaran yang wajar, dapat dipertanggungjawabkan dan dapat dilaksanakan oleh rekanan sesuai dengan ketentuan kontrak. Dengan demikian, penyusunan Owners Estimate merupakan kunci keberhasilan purchasing Management sebuah perusahaan. Workshop ini akan dipandu oleh pembicara yang yang memiliki pengalaman purchasing management yang luas serta pengetahuan statistik dan akuntansi yang mendalam . Kepada setiap peserta pelatihan, akan menggunakan software untuk perhitungan Owner Estimate. Materi yang dibahas akan sangat bermanfaat untuk perhitungan OE pengadaan barang/jasa dan OE Proyek.

- by Cahya mmsbdg
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- Training and Supervision, Training and Development, Training, HPSG

This paper describes the CoreGram project, a multilingual grammar engineering project that develops HPSG grammars for several typologically diverse languages that share a common core. The paper provides a general motivation for doing theoretical linguistics the way it is done in the CoreGram
project and therefore is not targeted to computational linguists exclusively. I argue for a constraint-based approach to language rather than a generative-enumerative one and discuss issues of formalization. Recent advantages in the language acquisition research are mentioned and conclusions
on how theories should be constructed are drawn. The paper discusses some of the highlights in the implemented grammars, gives a brief overview of central theoretical concepts and their implementation in TRALE and compares the CoreGram project with other multilingual grammar engineering projects.

- by Stefan Müller
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- Yiddish Language, Computational Linguistics, Persian Language, German Language

This paper is an introduction to Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar.

- by Stefan Müller
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- Languages and Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, Syntax, Formal syntax
- by Rafael Marín
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- Tense and Aspect Systems, HPSG, Participles, Adjectives

This paper is a reply to our respondents (Alishahi, Asudeh & Toivonen, Boas, Goldberg, Kálmán, Kay, Kobele), who replied to our target paper on argument structure. We address arguments regarding rule ordering, coordination, morphology,... more

The relevance of the concepts of local syntactic selection and constraints on locally selected dependents
in modeling how arguments are syntactically realized has been virtually unchallenged
and is assumed to be universal. In this article, we examine more closely these assumptions and ask
whether there is anything invariant in the realization of arguments. We argue that the facts of
Oneida, and Iroquoian in general, suggest the answer to this question is No. There is no use in
Oneida for local selection of phrases realizing semantic arguments (and lexical records of this selection),
and words are, as a result, functionally complete. We also argue that there is no use for a
level of argument structure or any analogous notion in Oneida. The kinds of processes that justify
positing such a level are systematically absent. The facts of Oneida suggest that there is less universality
in the syntax/semantics interface (particularly when it comes to the realization of semantic
arguments) than is typically assumed and that languages may vary widely in the way semantics
is mapped onto syntax. We end with a formal model of the relevant fragment of Oneida within
head-driven phrase structure grammar (HPSG).

- by karin michelson and +1
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- Iroquoian linguistics, Argument Structure, HPSG, Argument Realization
- by Bert Peeters
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- HPSG, Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar

The Turkic language Kazakh has a remarkably large set of eighteen auxiliary verbs, which express various tense-aspect-modality (TAM) values in combination with a lexical verb. This thesis presents the first multivariate analysis of auxiliary verb constructions (AVCs) to precisely define the function and distribution of every auxiliary in Modern Spoken Kazakh.
Based on corpus data and first-hand fieldwork, I demonstrate that contemporary Kazakh has 28 AVCs, each with a distinctive function. I argue that some morphologically or syntactically ambiguous constructions, hitherto analyzed as AVCs, should be treated as lexical verbs in separate clauses. Previ-ously undescribed AVCs are described, including an unexpected case of stem alternation. The distribu-tional analyses demonstrate that some AVCs are sensitive to syntactic parameters, such as the independ-ence of the clause they head. Others are expressions of a purely semantic feature and thus are insensitive to syntax, such as the modal abilitative. Thus, AVCs are grouped into six classes in order to contrast distinctive distributional behavior with characteristics shared across constructions. The analysis assumes that auxiliaries are periphrastic and thus are part of the lexical verb’s paradigm. Therefore, alongside AVCs, synthetic TAM expressions are investigated and the results include precise descriptions and a novel contrastive analysis of three past tense expressions.
The description is complemented by an HPSG style analysis in order to present the system using a rigorous, feature-based approach. This is the first attempt to formalize a large auxiliary system with implemented solutions that lay the grounds for future work on the diachrony of auxiliaries. I propose novel semantic features that account for distinctions including boundedness, phase specification and focus. The main contribution is a systematic, synchronic, fine-grain examination of every Kazakh aux-iliary verb, which makes this complex system available for the general linguist, as well as specialists of TAM and periphrasis.

- by Dávid Győrfi
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- Lexical Semantics, Linguistics, Fieldwork in linguistics, Tense and Aspect Systems

This chapter compares work done in Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar with work done under the heading Minimalist Program. We discuss differences in the respective approaches and the outlook of the theories. We have a look at the procedural/constraint-based views on grammar and discuss the differences in complexity of the structures that are assumed. We also address psycholinguistic issues like processing and language acquisition.

- by Stefan Müller
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- Language Acquisition, Psycholinguistics, Syntax, Formal syntax

In this paper, we argue that by making a more detailed distinction of theta-roles, while at the same time investigating the correlation of case marking, theta-role assignment, and eventuality types, we can describe different psych-verb subclasses and explain their alignment patterns in Spanish and Korean. We propose a neo-Davidsonian treatment of psych-verbs in HPSG that allows us to account for the underspecification of theta-roles which are modeled in an inheritance hierarchy for semantic relations. By assuming linking properties modeled lexically, we can constrain the properties for psych-verbs which shows the mapping of semantic arguments (i.e. experiencer, stimulus-causer, subject matter and target) to the elements in the argument structure. The type hierarchy and lexical rules proposed here capture the alternation in case marking not only of the experiencer (as traditionally assumed in the literature), but also of the stimulus. This analysis leads us to a new fourfold classification of psych-verbs for both languages.

- by Antonio Machicao y Priemer and +1
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- Syntax, Linguistics, Syntax-Semantics Interface, Formal Semantics

Van Trijp (2013, 2014) claims that Sign-Based Construction Grammar (SBCG) and Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG) are fundamentally different from Fluid Construction Grammar (FCG). He claims that the former approaches are generative ones while the latter is a cognitive-functional one. I argue that it is not legitimate to draw these distinctions on the basis of what is done in FCG. Van Trijp claims that there are differences in the scientific model, the linguistic approach, formalization, the way constructions are seen and in terms of processing. This paper discusses all these alleged differences. Van Trijp also claims that his cognitive-functional approach is superior in terms of completeness, explanatory adequacy, and theoretical parsimony. In order to facilitate a discussion and comparison, I introduce the reader to basic assumptions made in FCG and the analyses suggested by Van Trijp: I first deal with the representations that are used in FCG, talk about argument structure constructions, the combination operations fusion and merging that are used in FCG, I than discuss the analysis of nonlocal dependencies and show that the suggested FCG analysis is not explanatory adequate since it is not descriptively adequate and that a full for-malization of approaches with discontinuous constituents is not more parsimonious than existing HPSG analyses either. After the discussion of specific analyses, I then provide a detailed comparison of FCG and SBCG/HPSG and discuss questions like the competence/performance distinction, mathematical formalization vs. computer implementation, fuzziness and fluidity in grammars, and permissiveness of theories. I conclude that HPSG, SBCG and FCG belong to the same family of theories and that all claims to the contrary are unjustified.

- by Stefan Müller
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- Languages and Linguistics, Psycholinguistics, Formal syntax, Performance
- by Elisabeth Norcliffe
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- Languages and Linguistics, Syntax, Morphosyntax, Nepali

In Müller, 2005 I provide evidence that suggests that linearization approaches that analyze German clause structure with discontinuous constituents cannot account for the German clause structure in an insightful... more

- by Stefan Müller
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- German Language, Syntax, HPSG, Depictive Predicates
- by David Moeljadi and +1
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- Indonesian Language, Copulas, HPSG

This paper gives an account of Serial Verb Constructions (SVCs) in Mandarin Chinese. After a typological presentation of the phenomenon, we give an overview of the Chinese data. The inventory of SVC types is classified according to causal and temporal relations between the components. We discuss pragmatic conditions on the use of SVCs and alternative, semantically equivalent constructions. An HPSG analysis is proposed for marked SVCs which uses the interaction between aspect marking and the set of possible subordinative relations to deduce the extra-lexical meaning of the construction. Particular attention is paid to the syntactically peculiar SVC with shared internal arguments, which is accounted for by a non-cancellation approach to valence requirements.

- by Stefan Müller
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- Languages and Linguistics, Syntax, HPSG, Serial Verbs

This paper presents the creation and the initial stage development of a broad-coverage Indonesian Resource Grammar (INDRA) within the framework of Head Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG) (Pollard and Sag, 1994) and Minimal Recursion Semantics (MRS) (Copestake et al., 2005). At the present stage, INDRA focuses on verbal constructions and subcategorization since they are fundamental for argument and event structure. Verbs in INDRA were semi-automatically acquired from the English Resource Grammar (ERG) (Flickinger, 2000) via Wordnet Bahasa (Nurril Hirfana Mohamed Noor et al., 2011; Bond et al., 2014). In the future, INDRA will be used in the development process of machine translation. A preliminary evaluation of INDRA on the MRS test-suite shows promising coverage.

- by David Moeljadi
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- Indonesian Language, HPSG, Wordnet, Grammar Engineering

In this work we will analyze some recent proposals about how the result of the application of a generative algorithm is recognized as a unit for the purposes of further computations, and how each correlates, either explicitly or implicitly, with a model of the mind. We will propose, in line with previous works, that a mixed approach to mental computations (including both Markovian and non-linear dependencies) can prove useful at both theoretical and empirical levels when stated explicitly. We will argue that phrase markers include both kinds of dependencies between terminals and non-terminals: labeling requirements in a theory (which, in turn, interact with other conditions on phrase structure, binarity being the most notable) give away the conception a certain theory has about the (uniform or not) functioning of the mind.

Extraposed relative clauses pose certain problems for movement-based analyses. They seem to be insensitive to island constraints, and show intricate interactions with variable binding. Starting from the assumption that complement and modifier extraposition should not be treated alike, I present an analysis of relative clause extraposition that does not rely on movement. Instead, I assume that the same syntactic and semantic constraints interact to determine the grammaticality of both extraposed and non-extraposed relative clauses. Syntactically, the proposed constraints lead to the configurational superiority of the relative clause. This superiority has its origin in the semantics of the relative clause: the relative pronoun is referentially defective and remedies this deficiency by selecting an appropriate antecedent. The present analysis draws on data from German.

- by Tibor Kiss
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- HPSG

- by Stefan Müller
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- Languages and Linguistics, Germanic linguistics, Syntax, Construction Grammar

This chapter is an introduction to the Binding Theory assumed within HPSG. While it was inspired by work on Government & Binding (GB), a key insight of HPSG's Binding Theory is that, contrary to GB's Binding Theory, reference to tree structures alone is not sufficient and reference to the syntactic level of argument structure is required. Since argument structure is tightly related to semantics, HPSG's Binding Theory is a mix of aspects of thematic Binding Theories and entirely configurational theories. This chapter discusses the advantages of this new view and its development into a strongly lexical binding theory as a result of shortcomings of earlier approaches. The chapter also addresses so-called exempt anaphors, that is, anaphors not bound inside of the clause or another local domain.

- by Stefan Müller
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- Languages and Linguistics, Syntax, Pronouns, Theoretical Linguistics
- by karin michelson
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- Language, Iroquoian linguistics, Argument Structure, HPSG

This paper describes the CoreGram project a multilingual grammar engineering project that develops HPSG grammars for several typologically diverse languages that share a common core. The paper provides a brief overview of the grammars and... more

- by Stefan Müller
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- Languages and Linguistics, Yiddish Language, Maltese, Semantics
- by Jungsoo Kim
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- HPSG, Binominal Constructions

Copala Triqui has a group of nouns which cannot be directly possessed, but must be possessed via a 'surrogate' noun. (Domestic animals and things made of paper are the two main classes of items which must be possessed via surrogate.) This handout gives an HPSG analysis of the phenomenon and a comparison to the type of possessive construction called possessive classification or indirect possession in Oceanic languages.

- by George Aaron Broadwell
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- Oceanic languages, HPSG, Copala Triqui language, Possessive constructions
- by Eric Nichols
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- Cognitive Science, Machine Translation, HPSG, Machine

This book is a contribution to the general discussion of the question whether argument structure constructions should be treated with reference to phrasal patterns as suggested by Goldberg (1995, 2006); Culicover and Jackendoff (2005) and others or whether lexical approaches like) are more appropriate. In the absence of any fully worked out formalized phrasal proposals in Construction Grammar many arguments against phrasal approaches had hypothetical character (see for instance Müller, 2006). This paper discusses recent approaches by Asudeh, Dalrymple, and Toivonen (2008, 2013), Christie (2010) and Asudeh, Giorgolo, and Toivonen (2014) in the framework of LFG, which can be seen as formalizations of phrasal constructionist approaches. The authors argue that certain arguments in resultative and benefactive constructions in English are licensed in phrasal constructions rather than lexically. Applying an old argument by Dowty and Bresnan to resultative constructions, I show that data involving deriva-tional morphology suggests that valence information is visible at the lexical level and hence should not be introduced at the phrasal level. The conclusion is that analyses like the classical lexical analysis of resultative constructions by Simpson (1983) are the only option for lexicalist theories like LFG and HPSG. A second part of the paper discusses active passive alternations in template-based approaches and points out that generalizations regarding c-structure are missing 1 in the same way as they are missing in simple phrase structure grammar. Such missing generalizations motivated Harris and Chomsky to introduce transformations , but transformations are not used in LFG and hence the generalizations regarding active/passive c-structure pairs can not be captured. Furthermore, I show that cross-linguistic generalizations cannot be captured with reference to phrasal configurations since languages differ in the way they actually realize resultative and benefactive constructions. It is shown that languages like German that allow much freer constituent order than English and partial verbal phrases are incompatible with phrasal views on argument structure. In a third part I develop a lexical account of German and English resultatives and benefactives in the framework of HPSG and show how this account captures the commonalities between German and English despite the superficial dissimilarities between the two languages.

- by Stefan Müller
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- English language, German Language, Syntax, English Grammar
- by Toni Badia
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- HPSG