Morphosyntax-Semantics Interface in Lexicalist Theories

Vorlesung: Computerlinguistik, 2. Studienabschnitt
Leitung: Valia Kordoni (kordoni@coli.uni-sb.de)
Ort: Bau 17.2, Konferenzraum 2.11
Zeit: Mo, Mi 16-18
Beginn: 10.4.2002

Course Description

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the interface between (morpho-)syntax and word meaning. One of the main reasons for that is that generalizations over word classes have been proven to help linguistic theories - especially the ones developed in the generative tradition - overcome the natural limitations of syntax.

In lexicalist theories like Lexical-Functional Grammar (LFG) and Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG), where the structure of the lexical knowledge plays a central role in the theory, the interest in the interaction between (morpho-)syntax and word meaning has led to the development of linking models like the Lexical Mapping Theory (LMT), the "Optimal Linking" Theory of Butt, Dalrymple and Frank (1997) and the Hierarchical Lexicon models. But although these linking models have as a common starting point the recognition of the importance of word classes for the interface between semantics and syntax, they vary both ontologically and in the range of linguistic phenomena they attempt to explain.

The aim of this course is to present and explore approaches on formal, empirical and computational issues related to the Morphosyntax-Semantics Interface in lexicalist theories (mainly LFG and HPSG). It also intends to address inter-framework discussions, since it focuses on both LFG and HPSG.