Grammatical relations, thematic roles and verb semantics
Grammatical relations have always constituted a primary focus of attention in the study of language. Within the last three decades, the topicality of this trend has increasingly been determined by the quest for a universal characterization of the language faculty which has shaped the goals and directives of most current works in theoretical linguistics. Although the realization patterns and syntactic functionality of grammatical relations are subject to cross-linguistic variation, studies in comparative grammar have provided suggestive evidence that the range of variation found can often be contained within the limits fixed by a discrete set of parameters. The investigation of these parameters has broached the possibility of a universal specification of the nature of grammatical relations. This thesis proposes that such a specification should be achieved by establishing regularities in the syntax-semantics interface within a constraint-based approach to linguistic analysis that integrates a precise computational interpretation. In keeping with this objective, a unification-based categorial grammar framework is developed which incorporates the semantic insights of a Neo-Davidsonian approach to verb semantics
Sanfilippo, Antonio
Grammar ; Comparative and general ; Semantics ; Comparative
Grammatical relations, thematic roles and verb semantics. Grammatical relations have always constituted a primary focus of attention in the study of language. Within the last three decades, the topicality of this trend has increasingly been determined by the quest for a universal characterization of the language faculty which has shaped the goals and directives of most current works in theoretical linguistics. Although the realization patterns and syntactic functionality of grammatical relations are subject to cross-linguistic variation, studies in comparative grammar have provided suggestive evidence that the range of variation found can often be contained within the limits fixed by a discrete set of parameters. The investigation of these parameters has broached the possibility of a universal specification of the nature of grammatical relations. This thesis proposes that such a specification should be achieved by establishing regularities in the syntax-semantics interface within a constraint-based approach to linguistic analysis that integrates a precise computational interpretation. In keeping with this objective, a unification-based categorial grammar framework is developed which incorporates the semantic insights of a Neo-Davidsonian approach to verb semantics
grammatical_relation thematic_role verb semantics grammatical_relation always constitute primary_focus attention study language within trend increasingly determine quest universal characterization language_faculty shape goal directive current work theoretical_linguistics although realization pattern syntactic functionality grammatical_relation subject cross_linguistic variation study comparative grammar provide suggestive evidence range variation find often_contain within limit fix discrete set_parameter investigation parameter possibility universal specification nature grammatical_relation proposes specification achieve establish regularity syntax_semantics interface within_constraint based linguistic_analysis integrates precise computational interpretation keep objective unification based categorial_grammar framework_develop incorporates semantic insight neo davidsonian verb semantics