Language structure, Semantics, Pragmatics Flashcards
What is a Morpheme?
The smallest unit of language that contains meaning.
What is generative grammar?
human language is shaped by a set of basic principles that are part of the human brain
What are phrase structure rules?
A type of rewrite rule used to describe a given language’s syntax
- are closely associated with the early stages of transformational grammar, proposed by Noam Chomsky
What is syntax?
the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
Define modular
suggests that language processing occurs in distinct areas of the brain, allowing for specialization in handling different components of language.
What is a garden path sentence
grammatically correct sentence that starts in such a way that a reader’s most likely interpretation will be incorrect; the reader is lured into a path that turns out to be a dead end or yields a clearly unintended meaning
What is minimal attachment?
suggests readers or listeners tend to attach new information to a sentence in the simplest way possible.
What is late closure
causes new words or phrases to be attached to the current clause.
Give a basic description of Chomsky’s synaptic theory
Competence
The Speaker-hearers knowledge of the language
- Allows for grammatically judgements, even of sentences we have never heard before
Performance
The actual use of language in concrete situations
Define parsing
to divide (a sentence) into grammatical parts and identify the parts and their relations to each other
What is encapsulation in reference to parsing
Are different sources of knowledge separate, specialised components and do they interact with each other?
What is stage 1 of the garden path model?
- Parsing done solely on the basis of synaptic preferences
Two principles:
Minimal attachment - Go for the simplest structure
Late closure - Incorporate words in the currency open phrase or clause, if possible
What is stage 2 of the garden path model
If the parse is incompatible with synaptic, semantic, thematic information reanalysis occurs.
Describe interactive accounts of parsing
- Constraint based models
- All possible synaptic analyses are generated in parallel
- With the activation of each analysis dependant upon the support available at that moment
Define lexical ambiguity
multiple meanings
Homonym: word with 2 unrelated interpretations
What are the 3 ways of processing words with multiple meanings
Selective access
Context restricts access to contextually appropriate meaning
Ordered access
Activation on basis of meaning frequency, tried against context
Parallel access
All meaning activated
Define lexical polysemy
Multiple senses
Metonymy: One part of an entity is used to refer to the entity as a whole
Define pragmatics
the distinction between what a speaker’s word (literally) mean and what the speaker means by his words
What is an inference?
The process of developing information that goes beyond the literal meaning of text
What are the 3 main types of inference?
Logical
Based on word meaning
Bridging (background inference)
Relate new information to previous information
Elaborative (forward inference)
Extend the text with your own world knowledge
What is the problem with inferencing?
Frame problem = how far do you go when inferencing
State the 3 theories dealing with inferencing?
Minimalist approach
Constructionist approach
Search- after- meaning
Describe the minimalist approach for dealing with inferencing?
Only two kinds of inference encoded during reading
1 = Those necessary for local coherence
2 = Those based on quickly and easily available information
Describe the constructionist approach for dealing with inferencing
Numerous elaborative inferences are typically drawn during reading
Describe search- after-meaning for dealing with inferencing
Sometimes we read more minimalist sometimes constructionist
What is the Good enough interpretation?
- Using fast and frugal heuristics to arrive at a “good enough” interpretation of language
- Driven by assumptions of what the text is about
- Can lead to misconceptions, errors in interpretation
