Flexible Command : A Solution to the Symmetry Problem of Adjunction, Scrambling, and Dislocation

概要

論文の詳細を見る
The computational procedure of human natural language (CHL; only humans have it) produces sound information that instructs the sensory-motor (physical) system (every animal has it) on how to use it, and meaning information that instructs the thought (cognitive) system (every animal has it) on how to use it. One mystery of CHL is that there is a third type of information that CHL computes: this is structural information, which is neither sound nor meaning. We observe structural information in forms such as Case particles and inflections. Structural information is responsible for building a sentence structure (tree graph). The sensory-motor system reads off sound information hanging on the tree, while the thought system reads off meaning information hanging on the tree. Structural information is like a virus in that it is checked, matched and deleted within the CHL, a virus check system created by Mother Nature. It must be erased within CHL because there is no external system that uses it. If structural information flowed into the sensory-motor system or the thought system, these external systems would freeze because they do not know what to do with the unknown information. Mother Nature has created a computational system (a language organ) that is cancer-like, in that it multiplies a binary-branching structure. Human language (CHL) has evolved from the mutated brain of Homo Habilis about two million years ago, and what the system does is aimlessly multiply a binary-branching structure (two-membered-set building). This is similar to crystallization processes like snowflake development. Human language has not evolved for the purpose of communication as demonstrated by the fact that Homo Sapiens (us) as a species have disclosed the worst quality of communicative competence: the key words for understanding our species are lie (fraud) and war (murder). This study analyzes measurements for the structural relationship between two nodes in a tree graph that CHL produces. I will focus specifically on two measures: domination and command. From the beginning of the biolinguistics (generative syntax) project, domination and command have been used for measuring node relations. Linguists have always sought precise and useful domination and command rulers. Adjunction structure provides an excellent object of study for obtaining precise measurements. Adjunction structure is observed in the phenotype called scrambling (a word permutation phenomenon). Scrambling is an excellent natural object for us to study the symmetry problem in CHL: what information is lost or preserved when words are permuted. I propose a new approach to examining command: command measuring the equilibrium of connection and disconnection relationships between two nodes in a given tree. Capitalizing on Chomsky's (1995) insights, I propose flexible command, which is more precise than the previous definitions of command. Flexible command measures different levels of disconnection determined by differences in computational cost. Flexible command accounts for many empirically observed phenomena. Many related conceptual problems are discussed. Does self-domination exist? Does self-command exist? What is the demonstration that domination is irreflexive? What is the demonstration that command is irreflexive? Discussions of several related empirical problems follow. What is the structure of a sentence with a postverbal term in SOV languages? Specifically, what is the structure of the permuted order of SVO in SOV languages? Is O included within the same minimal sentence? What is the structural location of O? Does it undergo rightward dislocation? Does it asymmetrically command other terms? Why are wh and focus-phrases prohibited from appearing in the postverbal position in SOV languages? Why are non-wh/focus-phrases allowed to appear in the same position? Why does the island effect appear in the LF when the island (complex structure) is dislocated rightward after the verb? Why is the highest asymmetrical shifted heavy NP pronounced at the end, in violation of the LCA? Why does V appear before an adverb in French but after it in English? How does flexible command measure the relevant structural relations?
2011-03-30

Flexible Command : A Solution to the Symmetry Problem of Adjunction, Scrambling, and Dislocation

スポンサーリンク

概要

著者

関連論文

スポンサーリンク