9 789087 282134
LUP
ME
ANIN
G VERSUS
GRAMMAR
Cremers
, Hi
jzelendoorn
& Rec
kman
Meaning versus Grammarinvestigates the complicated relationship between grammar, computation, and meaning in natural languages. It details conditions under which meaning-driven processing of natural language is feasible, discusses an operational and accessible implementation of the grammatical cycle for Dutch, and offers analyses of a number of further conjectures about constituency and entailment in natural language.
Crit Cremersis an associate professor in formal semantics and computational linguistics at Leiden University. Maarten Hijzelendoornis a senior
software engineer at the Faculty of Humanities of Leiden University. Hilke Reckmanis a senior researcher in natural language processing.
“This book is unique in my experience in giving this amount of detail to setting out the Dutch case with respect to separately a parser and generator, and the motivation for this as a property of the framework itself is wholly novel. But what makes this book such a winner is its style: I know of no other book at this level of formal explicitness that is such a joy to read.”
ruth kempson, professor of linguistics, king’s college london
www.lup.nl
l e i d e n u n i v e r s i t y p r e s s
MEANING
GRAMMAR
An Inquiry into
the Computation of Meaning
and
the Incompleteness of Grammar
Crit Cremers
Maarten Hijzelendoorn
Hilke Reckman
An Inquiry into the Computation of Meaning
and the Incompleteness of Grammar
MEANING
Lay-out: Jurgen Leemans
Cover illustration: Matthias Stom, Samson and Delilah, 1630s, Palazzo Barberini, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome, Italy
ĎĘćē ͻͺͻͲͺʹͺʹͳʹ e-ĎĘćē ͻͺͻͶͲͲͲͳͺ͵͵ȋǦȌ e-ĎĘćē ͻͺͻͶͲͲͲͳͺͶͲȋǦȌ ēĚė 616
̹ȀȀ ȀǡʹͲͳͶ
Ǥ ǡ book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any ȋ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ȍ Ǥ
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
9
0. INTRODUCTION
11
0.1 A Language Machine 11
0.2 Language and computability 16
0.3 The book 21
1. SYNTAX:
the game of recursion and discontinuity
25
1.1 The need for syntax 25
1.2 Forms of Dutch 30
1.3 The task for syntax 34
1.4 The logic and the ǡϔǡ ͺͷ
ͳǤͶǤͳ Ͷͳ
ͳǤͶǤʹ ͶͶ
ͳǤͶǤ͵ Ͷ
ͳǤͶǤͶ Ͷͻ
ͳǤͶǤͷ ͷͲ
ͳǤͶǤ ͷʹ
ͳǤͶǤ ͷ͵
ͳǤͶǤͺ ǣ
ͷ
1.5 The calculi 60
ͳǤͷǤͳ ʹ
ͳǤͷǤ͵ ͺ ͳǤͷǤͶ Ͳ
1.6 The case for Dutch 71
ͳǤǤͳ ͳ
ͳǤǤʹ Ͷ
ͳǤǤ͵ ͻͲ
1.7 The grammar of discontinuity and coordination 94
ͳǤǤͳ ͻͶ
ͳǤǤʹ ͻͷ
ͳǤǤ͵ ͳͲʹ
ͳǤǤͶ ͳͲ
1.8 Parsing the syntax 114
ͳǤͺǤͳ ͳͳͷ
ͳǤͺǤʹ ͳͳ ͳǤͺǤ͵ ͳʹͲ ͳǤͺǤͶ ͳʹͶ
ͳǤͺǤͷ ͳʹͷ
ͳǤͺǤ ͳʹͻ
ͳǤͺǤ ͳ͵Ͳ
ͳǤͺǤͺ ͳ͵
1.9 Generating by syntax: agendas and linearization 138
ͳǤͻǤͳ Ǧ ͳ͵ͺ
ͳǤͻǤʹ ͳͶͷ
2. SEMANTICS:
the game of scope and intensionality
153
2.1 The ways of meaning 153
2.2 The forms of meaning 157
Ǥ ϔ ͷͼ
ʹǤ͵Ǥͳ ϐ ͳʹ
ʹǤ͵Ǥʹ ϐ ͳ ʹǤ͵Ǥ͵ ϐ ͳͲ
2.4 Intensionality and semantic dependency 175
ʹǤͶǤͳ ͳͷ
ʹǤͶǤʹ ͳͺͲ
Ǥͻ ǣϔ ͷ;
ʹǤͷǤͳ ͳͺʹ
2.6 Exploiting Logical Form for Parsing 196
ʹǤǤͳ ǡ ͳͻ
ʹǤǤʹ ĊđĎđĆč ͳͻ
ʹǤǤ͵ ͳͻͺ
ʹǤǤͶ ʹͲͺ
ʹǤǤͷ ʹͳͲ
2.7 Generating from Logic 217
ʹǤǤͳ ʹͳ ʹǤǤʹ ʹͳͻ ʹǤǤ͵ Ǧ ǣ ʹʹ͵ ʹǤǤͶ ʹʹ
3. LEXICON:
the language’s encyclopaedia and database
229
3.1 Storing knowledge of language 229
͵ǤͳǤͳ ǣ ʹʹͻ
͵ǤͳǤʹ ĊđĎđĆč ʹ͵Ͷ
͵ǤͳǤ͵ ǣ ʹ͵ ͵ǤͳǤͶ ǣ ʹͶͲ
3.2 Modes of lexical knowledge 242
͵ǤʹǤͳ ǣǦ ʹͶʹ ͵ǤʹǤʹ ǣ ʹͶͶ ͵ǤʹǤ͵ ǣϐ ʹͶͷ ͵ǤʹǤͶ ǣ ʹͶͻ ͵ǤʹǤͷ ǣ ʹͷͺ
Ǥ ϔ ǣgrammar conservatively 259
͵Ǥ͵Ǥͳ ϐ ʹͷͻ ͵Ǥ͵Ǥʹ Ǧ ʹͶ
3.4 The making of the lexicon 265
͵ǤͶǤͳ ǣ
Ȃ ϐ ʹͷ ͵ǤͶǤʹ ǣ ʹͲ ͵ǤͶǤ͵ ʹʹ ͵ǤͶǤͶ ʹͻ
͵ǤͶǤͷ ʹͺ͵
3.5 Disclosing the lexicon: object-orientation and speed for semantic
generation 284
͵ǤͷǤͳ ʹͺͶ
͵ǤͷǤ͵ ʹͻʹ ͵ǤͷǤͶ ʹͻͶ
͵ǤͷǤͷ ʹͻ
3.6 The lexicon while parsing 298
4. GRAMMAR:
the reward of incompleteness
301
4.1 The three duals of grammar 301
4.2 The conservativity of syntax 302
ͶǤʹǤͳ ͵Ͳʹ
ͶǤʹǤʹ ϐ ͵Ͳ͵ ͶǤʹǤ͵ ϐ ͵Ͳͷ
4.3 The destructivity of semantics 308
ͶǤ͵Ǥͳ ͵Ͳͺ ͶǤ͵Ǥʹ ͵Ͳͻ
4.4 The denial of structure 314
4.5 The mismatch of structure and meaning 316
ͶǤͷǤͳ ͵ͳͺ ͶǤͷǤʹ ͵ʹͲ ͶǤͷǤ͵ ͵ʹʹ ͶǤͷǤͶ ͵ʹ͵
4.6 The lexicon as an oracle: the case of 324
4.7 The incompleteness of grammar 327
4.8 The fruit of incompleteness 329
REFERENCES
333
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ǦǦ Ǥ ͳͻͻͷǤ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ ǡǡ ǡ ǡǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥϐ Ǯ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ éǡ ǡǤ
ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡǤ ǡǤ
ǡ Ǧ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ ϐ Ǧ Ǧ Ǥ Ǥ
ǡ ǯǦ Ǥ
0. INTRODUCTION
0.1 A LANGUAGE MACHINE
ǡ ǮǤǤǤ ǯϐ ǯȋͳͻͷͺǣȌǡȋ Ȍǡ Ȃ ǯ ͲǤͲͶΨȂ×logic machinesǤͳ͵Ǧ ǡ
Ǧ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ȋȌǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǯȋǣArs demonstrativaǡ Ǥͳʹͺ͵ȌȂ ϐ Ǥ
Ǯ ǯǡ ǡ ȋͳͻͷͺǣͳ͵Ȍ ͳ͵ Ǥ Ars Magnaǡ Ǥ ǡ ǣlet us calculate Ǥ ǯ Ǧ ǡ Ǥǡ Ǧ ȋȌȂ ǤǡǦ becauseto the extent that ǡ Ǯ ǯǤ
Ǥ ǦǮǤǤǤ ǦǤǤǤǯ Ǧ Ǯ ǤǤǤ Dz dzǮǤ ǣ ǡ ǡǦ Ȃ Ǧ Ǥ ǯ Ǧ Ǥ
Ǧ ǡ ȋȌ Ȃǡǡǡ ǡǡǦǦ Ǧ ǦǦǤ Ǣ ǡǯ Ǧ Ǥ Ǧ ȋʹͲͲͲȌǣ e.g.Ǧ ǡ ǡǦ Ǥ ǯ Ǥǡ ϐ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ ǡǡ Ǥǡ ǤǦ ǮǤǤǤDzdz ǡ ǡ Ȃ ǯȋ ʹͲͲʹǣʹͺȌǤ
ǡ Ǥ
Ȃ ǣ ȂǤ Ǧ ϐ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ becauseǦ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǦǦ ǦǦϐ ǡ ǡǡǤ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǡǡ Ǥ ǡǤ ǡnotǦ Ǥ Ǥǡ Ǥǡǡ Ǧ ǡ Ǥ
ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ϐ Ǥǡ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǯ ǯǣ Ǥ ȂȂ ǣ ǤǡǦ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ
Ǧ Ǥ which Ǧ ǤǡǦ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǧ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǥǣ ǤǦ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥǡ ϐ Ǥ ǣ Ǥ
ǡ ǡ Ǥǡ Ǧ ϐǤ ǡ Ǧ Ǥaboutǡare ǡ Ǥ Ǣ Ǥ ȋͳͻͺͺȌ Ǥǡǡ ǡ Ǥǡ the language machine hypothesis:
Ȉ ǡ
Ȉ ǡ
Ȉ Ȃ Ȃ ȋͳͻͺͲȌǡǡǡ ǡ ϐ ǡ ǡ
0.2 LANGUAGE AND COMPUTABILITY
Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ǡǤ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ϐ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ϐ Ǥǡ ǡ Ȃ ǡǦ Ǣ ȋʹͲͲͻȌǤ ǡǦǦ ǡ Ǥ
ǡ ȋǤ ǤȌǡMeans ȋȌǤMeans(ɔǡɗ) ɔאɗאɗɔǤ ǡ f ǡ ȋȌ α ɗ Means(ǡ ɗ), Ǥ ǡ fǡɗǤǤǡ Ǥϐ Ȃ ϐȂ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ȋȌαǤ ǡϐfǢϐ ϐǤǡ Means(ɔǡɗ) Ȃ Ǥ
Ǥ NLMeans(ɔǡɗ) Ǥ ɔmeans ɗǡ ǡ ɗ ɔsalve veri-tate.NLMeans Ǧ ɔɗǤ ǣ ǡ ǫǡǦ g Ǥg ǡMeans(ɔǡ)ȋǡɖȌNLMeans(ɔǡɖ)ɔǡɖאǤ g,Means NLMeansǤǤ
ϐ fg Ǥ f Ǧ g Ǥ ǡ ϐ Ǧ Ǥ
parserf: NL Ե(L)
generator g: L Ե(NL)
NL
Ե(NL)
L
Ե(L) grammar & lexicon
Figure 2 The parser and the generator as functions
ϐǤ fg ǡ Ǥ
ǡ Ǧ Ǥ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ǡǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡǯ Ȃ Ȃ Ǥǣ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǡǦǤ eȂ ϐǡ ȋͳͻʹȌǤ ǡǡǡ <e,t>ǡ Ǥǡǡ<<e,t>,t>ǡ ϐǤǤ δ<<e,t>,t>, tn>
ǡǡǡǤǤǤǤǤ ǣϐǡǤ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ the Ǥ ǡ ǤǦ ǡ Ǥ
ǯ ǯ Ǥ ǣ Ǧ Ǯǯǡ Ǥ ǡǡ ǤǦ ǡ Ǧ ǣ Ǥ Frege’s principleȋe.g.ͳͻͻͺȌ ȋͳͻͺȌǤCompositionality ǣ Ǥǡǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥǡ Ǥǡ procedure ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǤǦ ǯ ǡ Ǧ ǡǦ Ǧ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ϐ Ǧ ǤǣabcǦ ɔaǡ bc pa1& ... pai ... &... panǡpb1& ... pbi ... &... pbmpc1& ... pci ... &... pck ǡɔءpa1& ... pai ... &... pan & pb1& ... pbi ... &... pbmƬpc1... pci ... &... pckǤ ǣ
Ǧ Ǧ Ǥ ǡǦ Ǥǯ ϐ ȋͳͻʹȌǤ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ Ǥ ǡǮǯ ǣ Ǯǯ ȋ Ȍ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ǦǦ Ǥ ǯǤ Ǧ Ǥǡ ʹ ǣǦ Ǥ Ǥ
ǣ ǡǡ ǡ ǡ ǡǡ ǤǦ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ǤǦǡ Ǥ ǤǡǦ Ǥǡϐȋ ͳͻͺͳǡͳͻͺͳȌϐ Ǧ ǣ ϐǡ ǡ ǡ ǡǡǦ ȋͳͻͺ͵ȌǤ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ǡϐǡǤ ǡ ǯȂ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ȋʹͲͲ͵Ȍǡ ǤQuod sit demonstrandum.
0.3 THE BOOK
Ǧ Ȃ Ȃ Ȃ Ǧ Ȃ ǦǤ Ǧ ǣǡ Ǥ Ǥ
Ǥ ǡ ĊđĎđĆčǤ
ǡǡ Ǥ ϐ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ ĊđĎđĆč ϐ ϐ Ǥ
ǦǦ ǡ ǤĊđĎđĆč ǡǣ Ȃǡ Ȃ ǤǦ Ǥ ϐ Ǧ ǡϐ Ǥ Ǧ ǦǤ ϐ Ǥ ǡ constructiconǣ Ǧ ǡǦǡ Ǧϐ Ǧϐ Ǥ ǡ ĊđĎđĆčǤǦ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ
ǡ ǣ Ȉ Ǣ Ȉ ǡ
Ǣ
Ȉ ϐ ǡ Ǧ ǡ Ǣ
Ȉ ǡ ϐ ϐǦ Ǣ
Ȉ ǡ Ǧ Ǣ Ȉ Ǧ
ǯ Ǣ
Ȉ ϐ ϐ Ǣ Ȉ Ǣ
Ȉ Ǧ Ǧ Ǣ
1. SYNTAX:
the game of recursion and
discontinuity
1.1 THE NEED FOR SYNTAX
Ȃ Ǥ ǡϐǦ ϐǤ ǡϐ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ϐ Ǧ ǡǡǤϐ ǣ ǡ Ǥϐǡ Ǥ ǡ ǯKleene closureǣϐ ϐ Ǥ ǡϐǡ ϐǤ ǡϐϐ Ȃ Ǥ ǡ ϐȂǦǡǡ Ǥ
ǦǦǦ ϐ ǣ proper Ǥ Ǥ anything goes Ǥ Ǧ ǣ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ϐ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ϐ ǡ Ǥǡǡ ǤǤǡ Ǥone-worldǡ Ȃ Ǥ Ǥǡǡ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ compositionalityǦ ȋ ǡȋͳͻͺȌ ȌǤ ǡǤ
ϐǡǡǮǯ Ǥ ϐ Ȃ e.g.Ǧ ȂǮǯ ǣ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ
ϐǤ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ȗ͓ǡ ͵ͶǤ ǡǤ Ǥ
ǣϐ ǡ ȗα ȓδͳǤǤǤεȁiאȔؿǡϐ NLǡ Ǥ ǦϐǤ ǡ ϐ ǡ ǡ ϐǤ Ǥ ϐǦ ȗǡ ȗ Ǧ ǣ ǡ ǡϐǡe.g. Ǥǡ Ǥ ǡǡ ϐǤǡǡ ȗ Ǥ theory of grammar, Ǥǯ ǡ ǤǡǦ ǡ Ǥ Ǯ ǯǡǡǡ Ǥ
ϐ Ǥ ϐ Ǥ ȋǡ Ȍ ϐǡ Ȃ ǣ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ȃ ϐǤϐϐ Ǥǣϐǡ
ȋʹȌ ǥǤȏǥȏǥȏǥȐǥȐǥȐ
Ǧ Ǥ ǡǦ Ǧ Ǥ ǣǦ ϐ Ǥ Ǥϐϐ ϐ Ǥ Ǥ of the languageǡ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ parsingǡ Ǥ
Ȃ Ȃ ǡ ȋ ǤǦ et al.ʹͲͲͳȌǤ ǣ Ǧ ǡ ǤǦ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡaka Ǥϐ ǡǡǦ Ǥ ǣ ϐ ǡǢ Ǧ Ǥǡ ǣǦ ǡȂ Ȃ ϐǤ
ǡ ǡ ȌǤ ǣ ǡad libitumǤ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ Ȃ Ȃ ȋʹȌǤǣ ȋʹȌȂ Ȃ ȋ͵Ȍǡ ǦǤ
ȋ͵Ȍ ǥȏXǥǥȐǥȏǥȏXǥȐǥȐ
ǡǮǯ Ǥ ǡǤ Ǥ
ȋͶȌ
ȋͷȌ ǤǤǤǤ
ǡ ǣ ǡ ǡ ǡǡ Ǥ
ǡ ǡ Ǧ ǡ Ǧ ǦǤ ǡ overtly covertly ϐ Ǣǡlogical ǤǦ Ǥ
1.2 FORMS OF DUTCH
ǡ Ǥ Ǧ ĊđĎđĆčǯǤ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ
ǣǦ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ
ϐ ǤǦ Ǥ ǣ Ǧ ǤǦ ǡ Ǧ ǤǡȋͳͻȌǤ
ȋȌ ǥ ǥthat Jan the man Marie a cow saw help teach dance
ǥǮ ȋȌ ǯ
Ǥ ǦǤ ȋͳͻȌǤ Ǧ Ǧ ǡ ǡǡ ȂȂ Ǥ Ǧ Ǣ cf. ȋͳͻͺʹȌǤ ǡϐ ĊđĎđĆčǤ ȋʹͲͲͶȌ ǦǤ ͳǤͺǤ
Ǧ disconti-nuity ǣ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǣ
ȋȌ ǥ ǥthat Jan the man maybe Marie a cow saw help teach dance ǥǮǥǯ
Misschien Ǯǯ ϐ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡǤ Mittelfeldǣ Ǯ ǯ ǡ Ȁ Ǥ
ǡ Ǧ Ǥ ǡϐȂ ǡϐ Ȃ ǡ Ǥ
ȋͺȌ
nobody has the drunken uncle dare correct