Storage of Linguistic Knowledge in the Mental Lexicon: An approach within Role and Reference Grammar
- Judith Gottschalk, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
- Old College Lorimer Room, University of Edinburgh
This talk aims to introduce a theory of the mental lexicon for German verbs of motion within the
theory of Role and Reference Grammar [RRG] (cf. Van Valin 2005). The issue of how Aktionsarten
and particularly verbs of motion with their various alternations are structured will be dealt with. In
addition, their storage in an RRG-compatible lexicon will be investigated. A time line model of
RRG-Aktionsarten based on Reichenbach (1947) will be developed to give a description of the
structure of events assumed in RRG.
In this talk I will deal with German Aktionsart alternations of the following form:
(1) a) Mulder renn-t.
Mulder run-3sgPRES (Mulder is running.)
b) Mulder renn-t nach Black Mesa
Mulder run-3sgPRES to Black Mesa (Mulder is running to Black Mesa.)
The sentences in (1) show an alternation between the two RRG Aktionsarten Activity (1a) and
Active Accomplishment (1b), which have the binary semantic features [-static], [+ dynamic], [- telic],
[-punctual] for (1a) and [-static], [+ dynamic], [+ telic], [-punctual] for (1b).
In previous RRG-analysis, this kind of alternation was explained via lexical rules. These rules
state that Activity is the basic Aktionsart of motion verbs. Active Accomplishments are derived from
this basic Aktionsart (cf. Van Valin and LaPolla 1997: 111).
However, human knowledge is often represented in terms of inheritance networks. In this talk I
will use a model of inheritance networks to modify the present version of the lexicon in RRG. This
network explains alternations of the kind displayed in (1) using lexical inheritance.
I will argue that basic Aktionsarten are not needed in the lexicon if Aktionsarten and operators
are analyzed and decomposed in terms of inheritance networks. I will furthermore show that,
accepting the idea of inheritance networks, multiple lexical entries become superfluous for verbs of
motion that occur in a multitude of contexts with different Aktionsart readings.
As a result, verbs are stored as follows. In the lexicon, they are stored in inheritance networks.
Within these networks they are stored as lexical neighbourhood clusters in an underspecified way.
This means verbs are stored hierarchically within a lexical inheritance network in a lexical
fingerprint. These fingerprints contain only the lexical information which is idiosyncratic to the verb.
Any additional information is inherited from the verbs which rank higher in the hierarchy. This
inheritance is non-monotonic.
In such a hierarchy, the most general verb is the root of the network. The more specific a verb,
the further down in the hierarchy it is represented.
Accepting this model, we do not need a workshop module and lexical rules as suggested by
Van Valin and LaPolla (1997) and Van Valin (2005). Aktionsart alternations are then regarded as a
result of lexical inheritance.
This unification approach is particularly suitable for implementations in computer software used
in language modelling and applications for language technology. Such applications are programs
in machine translation, grammar checkers and question answering systems.
References:
Gottschalk, Judith. 2010. Storage of linguistic knowledge in the mental lexicon: An approach
within Role and Reference Grammar. In: ITB Journal, Issue 19. http://www.itb.ie/files/journal/issue-
19.pdf.
Reichenbach, Hans. 1947. Elements of Symbolic Logic. New York: Radom House.
Van Valin, Robert D, Jr. 2005. Exploring the Syntax-Semantics Interface. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Van Valin, Robert D., Jr., and Randy J. LaPolla. 1997. Syntax: Structure, meaning and
function. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
theory of Role and Reference Grammar [RRG] (cf. Van Valin 2005). The issue of how Aktionsarten
and particularly verbs of motion with their various alternations are structured will be dealt with. In
addition, their storage in an RRG-compatible lexicon will be investigated. A time line model of
RRG-Aktionsarten based on Reichenbach (1947) will be developed to give a description of the
structure of events assumed in RRG.
In this talk I will deal with German Aktionsart alternations of the following form:
(1) a) Mulder renn-t.
Mulder run-3sgPRES (Mulder is running.)
b) Mulder renn-t nach Black Mesa
Mulder run-3sgPRES to Black Mesa (Mulder is running to Black Mesa.)
The sentences in (1) show an alternation between the two RRG Aktionsarten Activity (1a) and
Active Accomplishment (1b), which have the binary semantic features [-static], [+ dynamic], [- telic],
[-punctual] for (1a) and [-static], [+ dynamic], [+ telic], [-punctual] for (1b).
In previous RRG-analysis, this kind of alternation was explained via lexical rules. These rules
state that Activity is the basic Aktionsart of motion verbs. Active Accomplishments are derived from
this basic Aktionsart (cf. Van Valin and LaPolla 1997: 111).
However, human knowledge is often represented in terms of inheritance networks. In this talk I
will use a model of inheritance networks to modify the present version of the lexicon in RRG. This
network explains alternations of the kind displayed in (1) using lexical inheritance.
I will argue that basic Aktionsarten are not needed in the lexicon if Aktionsarten and operators
are analyzed and decomposed in terms of inheritance networks. I will furthermore show that,
accepting the idea of inheritance networks, multiple lexical entries become superfluous for verbs of
motion that occur in a multitude of contexts with different Aktionsart readings.
As a result, verbs are stored as follows. In the lexicon, they are stored in inheritance networks.
Within these networks they are stored as lexical neighbourhood clusters in an underspecified way.
This means verbs are stored hierarchically within a lexical inheritance network in a lexical
fingerprint. These fingerprints contain only the lexical information which is idiosyncratic to the verb.
Any additional information is inherited from the verbs which rank higher in the hierarchy. This
inheritance is non-monotonic.
In such a hierarchy, the most general verb is the root of the network. The more specific a verb,
the further down in the hierarchy it is represented.
Accepting this model, we do not need a workshop module and lexical rules as suggested by
Van Valin and LaPolla (1997) and Van Valin (2005). Aktionsart alternations are then regarded as a
result of lexical inheritance.
This unification approach is particularly suitable for implementations in computer software used
in language modelling and applications for language technology. Such applications are programs
in machine translation, grammar checkers and question answering systems.
References:
Gottschalk, Judith. 2010. Storage of linguistic knowledge in the mental lexicon: An approach
within Role and Reference Grammar. In: ITB Journal, Issue 19. http://www.itb.ie/files/journal/issue-
19.pdf.
Reichenbach, Hans. 1947. Elements of Symbolic Logic. New York: Radom House.
Van Valin, Robert D, Jr. 2005. Exploring the Syntax-Semantics Interface. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Van Valin, Robert D., Jr., and Randy J. LaPolla. 1997. Syntax: Structure, meaning and
function. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.