In:Language Processing and Grammars: The role of functionally oriented computational models
Edited by Brian Nolan and Carlos Periñán-Pascual
[Studies in Language Companion Series 150] 2014
► pp. 79–104
Three-place predicates in RRG
A computational approach
Published online: 1 April 2014
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.150.04got
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.150.04got
This book chapter presents a computational linguistics analysis of Role and Reference Grammar [RRG] (cf. Van Valin 2005). RRG, formulated as a pseudo-code program is not executable on a random access machine since the linking algorithm cannot account for variable undergoer linking in English three-place predicates. Consequently RRG is not computationally adequate. Therefore a new approach to RRG is developed using Nolan’s (2011) constructional schemas; the RRG semantics-to-syntax linking algorithm is revised, using the lexicon, information structure and constructional schemas to account for variable undergoer linking. A revised approach to the mental lexicon based on Gottschalk (2010) is developed, accounting for three-place predicates. In this approach macroroles are epiphenomenal and replaced by thematic relations to develop a computable account to RRG.
References (26)
Blass, Andreas & Gurevitch, Yuri. 2001.
Algorithms: A Quest for Absolute Definitions
. <[URL]>
Carpenter, Bob. 1991. The generative power of categorial grammars and head-driven phrase structure grammars with lexical rules.
Computational Linguistics
17(3): 301–314.
Diedrichsen, Elke. 2011. The influence of person hierarchies on preferences with word order in German ditransitive constructions. Paper presented at the International Workshop on Referential Hierarchies in three- participant constructions. The University of Lancaster, England.
. 2012. The theoretical importance of constructional schemas in RRG. In
New perspectives in Role and Reference Grammar
, Wataru Nakamura (ed.), 64–103. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars.
Erteschik-Shir, Nomi. 1979. Discourse constraints on dative movement. In
Syntax and Semantics
, Vol. XII:
Discourse and Syntax
, Talmy Givón (ed.), 441–467. New York NY: Academic Press.
Gottschalk, Judith. 2010. Storage of linguistic knowledge in the mental lexicon: An approach within Role and Reference Grammar.
ITB Journal
19: 20–45. <[URL]>
. 2012a. On the computability of Role and Reference Grammar: A new approach to the analysis of three-place predicates and the hierarchical lexicon.
ITB-Journal
22: 124 – 192. <[URL]>
. 2012b. The persuasive tutor: A BDI teaching agent with Role and Reference Grammar Language Interface.
ITB Journal
23: 31–51. <[URL]>
Guest, Elizabeth. 2008. Parsing for Role and Reference Grammar. In
Investigations of the Syntax-Semantics-Pragmatics Interface
[Studies in Language Companion Series 105], Robert D. Van Valin Jr. (ed.), 435–453. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Güting, Ralf H. & Dieker, Stefan. 2004. Datenstrukturen I. Kurseinheit 1: Einführung Programmiersprachliche Konzepte für Datenstrukturen. Ms, Fern Universität Hagen.
Haspelmath, Martin. 2005. Argument marking in ditransitive alignment types.
Linguistic Discovery
3(1): 1–21. <[URL]>
. 2008. Ditransitive constructions – Towards a new Role and Reference Grammar account? In
Investigations of the Syntax-Semantics-Pragmatics Interface
[Studies in Language Companion Series 105], Robert D. Van Valin, Jr. (ed.), 75–100. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Murtagh, Irene. 2011. Towards a linguistically motivated Irish Sign Language conversational avatar.
ITB Journal
19: 72 – 101.
Nolan, Brian. 2011. Constructions as grammatical objects: A new perspective on constructions in RRG. Paper presented at the International Conference on Role and Reference Grammar on “Functional Linguistics: Grammar, Communication & Cognition”. Facultad de Letras, at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, in Santiago de Chile.
Nolan, Brian & Salem, Yasser. 2009. UNIARAB: A universal machine translator system for Arabic based on Role and Reference Grammar. <[URL]>
Periñán-Pascual, Carlos & Arcas-Túnez, Francisco. 2010. The architecture of FunGramKB. In
Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation
, 2, 667–2674. Malta: European Language Resources Association.
Salem, Yasser. 2009. A generic framework for Arabic to English machine translation of Simplex sentences using the Role and Reference Grammar linguistic model. <[URL]>
Siewierska, Anna. 1998. Languages without objects.
Languages in Contrast
1(2): 173–190.
. Robert D. 2007. The Role and Reference Grammar analysis of three-place predicates.
Suvremena Lingvistika
33.1(63): 31– 64.
Wilson, Chris. 2009. Lex: A software project for linguists [Technical Report SEE-J Hiphil 6]. <[URL]>
Winther-Nielsen, Nicolai. 2009. Biblical Hebrew parsing on display: The Role Lexical Module (RLM) as a tool for Role and Reference Grammar.
SEE-J Hiphil
6: 1–51. <[URL]>
