Abstract
Taking as its starting point significant similarities between a formal language model—Grammar Systems—and a grammatical theory—Autolexical Syntax—in this paper we suggest the application of the former to the topic of the latter. To show the applicability of Grammar Systems Theory to grammatical description, we introduce a formal-language-theoretic framework for the architecture of natural language grammar: Linguistic Grammar Systems. We prove the adequacy of this model by highlighting its features (modularity, parallelism, interaction) and by showing the similarity between this framework and accepted and well-known grammatical models (e.g. Autolexical Syntax).
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Allen J.F. (1987). Natural language understanding. The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, CA
Altman G. (1987). Modularity and interaction in sentence processing. In: Garfield, J.L. (eds) Modularity in knowledge representation and natural-language understanding, pp 249–257. MIT Press, Cambridge
(1988). Readings in distributed artificial intelligence. Morgan Kaufmann, San Mateo
Bresnan J. (2001). Lexical functional syntax. Blackwell, Oxford
Bresnan J., Kaplan R.M., Peters S. and Zaenen A. (1987). Cross-serial dependencies in Dutch. In: Savitch, W.J., Bach, E., Marsh, W., and Safran-Naveh, G. (eds) The Formal complexity of natural language, pp 286–319. Kluwer, Dordrecht
(1988). Categorial grammar. John Benjamins, Amsterdam
Chitu̧ A. (1997). PC grammar systems versus non-context-free constructions from natural and artificial languages. In: Păun, Gh. and Salomaa, A. (eds) New trends in formal languages. Control, cooperation and combinatorics, pp 278–287. Springer, Berlin
Chomsky N. (1984). Modular approaches to the study of mind. State University Press, San Diego
Ferreira F. and Clifton C. (1987). Modularity in sentence comprehension’. In: Garfield, J.L. (eds) Modularity in knowledge representation and natural-language understanding, pp 277–290. MIT Press, Cambridge
Crocker M.W. (1991). Multiple meta-interpreters in a logical model of sentence processing. In: Brown, C.G. and Koch, G. (eds) Natural language understanding and logic programming III, pp 127–145. Elsevier, North-Holland
Csuhaj-Varjú E. and Dassow J. (1990). On cooperating/distributed grammar systems. Journal of Information Processing and Cybernetics (EIK) 26: 49–63
Csuhaj-Varjú E., Dassow J., Kelemen J. and Păun Gh. (1994). Grammar systems: a grammatical approach to distribution and cooperation. Gordon and Breach, London
Csuhaj-Varjú E., Jiménez-López M.D. and Martín-Vide C. (1999). Pragmatic eco-rewriting systems: pragmatics and eco-rewriting systems. In: Păun, Gh. and Salomaa, A. (eds) Grammatical models of multi-agent systems, pp 62–283. Gordon and Breach, London
Csuhaj-Varjú E., Kelemen J. and Păun Gh. (1996). Grammar systems with WAVE-like communication. Computers and AI 15(5): 419–436
Dassow J., Păun Gh. and Rozenberg G. (1997). Grammar systems. In: Rozenberg, G. and Salomaa, A. (eds) Handbook of formal languages, pp 155–213. Springer, Berlin
Davis R. (1980). Report on the workshop on distributed AI. SIGART New-Letter 73: 42–52
Demazeau Y. and Muller J.P. (1990). Decentralized artificial intelligence. Elsevier, North-Holland
Durfee E.H., Lesser V.R. and Corkill D.D. (1989). Cooperative distributed problem solving. In: Barr, A., Cohen, P.R., and Feigenbaum, E.A. (eds) The handbook of artificial intelligence, pp 85–148. Addison-Wesley, USA
(1988). Morphology and modularity: in honour of Henk Schultink. Foris, USA
Farmer A.K. (1984). Modularity in syntax: a study of Japanese and English. MIT Press, Cambridge
Frazier L. (1988). Grammar and Language Processing. In: Newmeyer F.J. (eds). Linguistic theory: extensions and implications (Vol. II, pp. 15–34). Cambridge University Press.
Gazdar G., Klein E., Pullum G. and Sag I. (1985). Generalized phrase structure grammar. Blackwell, Oxford
Harnish R.M. and Farmer A.K. (1984). Pragmatics and the modularity of the Linguistic System. Lingua 63: 255–277
Horn L.R. (1988). Pragmatic theory. In: Newmeyer, F.J. (eds) Linguistic theory: foundations, pp 113–145. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Hudson R. (1984). Word grammar. Blackwell, Oxford
Jackendoff R. (2002). Foundations of language Brain meaning grammar evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Jackendoff R. (1990). Semantic structures. MIT Press, Cambridge
Jackendoff R. (1997). The architecture of language faculty. MIT Press, Cambridge
Jiménez-López M.D. (2001). A new approach to natural language with formal languages. In: Kelemen, J. and Kelemenová, A. (eds) Grammar systems and related fields, pp. Silesian University, Opava
Jiménez-López M.D. (2004). Formal languages for conversation analysis. In: García Español A. (eds). Estudios Hispánicos y Románicos. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona
Jiménez-López M.D. (2000). Grammar systems: a formal-language-theoretic framework for linguistics and cultural evolution. PhD Dissertation, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona.
Jiménez-López M.D. (2003). Linguistic grammar systems: a grammar systems approach to natural languages. In: Martín-Vide, C. and Mitrana, V. (eds) Grammars and Automata for String Processing: from mathematics and computer science to biology and back, pp 55–65. Taylor and Francis, London
Jiménez-López M.D. (2002). Using grammar systems. GRLMC Report, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona
Jiménez-López M.D. and Martín-Vide C. (2000). Grammar systems and autolexical syntax: two theories, one single idea. In: Freund, R. and Kelemenová, A. (eds) Grammar systems 2000, pp 283–296. Silesian University, Opava
Jiménez-López M.D. and Martín-Vide C. (1997). Grammar systems for the description of certain natural language facts. In: Păun, Gh. and Salomaa, A. (eds) New trends in formal languages control, cooperation and combinatorics, pp 288–298. Springer, LNCS, 1218, Berlin
Kasher A. (1991). Pragmatics and the modularity of mind. In: Davis, S. (eds) Pragmatics A reader, pp. Oxford University Press, New York
Kathman D. (1995). Control in autolexical syntax. In: Schiller, E., Steinberg, E. and Need, B. (eds) Autolexical theory. Ideas and methods, pp 103–129. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin
(1989). Artificial life. Addison-Wesley, CA
Mihalache V. (1996). PC grammar systems with separated alphabets. Acta Cybernetica 12(4): 397–409
Nii H.P. (1989). Blackboard systems. In: Barr, A., Cohen, P.R. and Feigenbaum, E.A. (eds) The handbook of artificial intelligence, pp 3–82. Addison-Wesley, USA
Nijholt A. (1988). Computers and languages. Theory and practice. Elsevier Science Publishers, North Holland
(1976). Montague grammar. Academic Press, New York
(1995). Artificial life: grammatical models. Black Sea University Press, Bucharest
(1998). Computing with bio-molecules. Springer, Singapore
Păun Gh. (1995). Parallel communicating grammar systems A survey. In: Martín-Vide, C. (eds) Lenguajes naturales y lenguajes formales XI, pp 257–283. PPU, Barcelona
Păun Gh. (1996). PC grammar systems: recent results, open problems. Acta Cybernetica 12(4): 381–395
Păun Gh. and Sântean L. (1989). Parallel communicating grammar systems: the regular case. Annals of the University of Bucharest Mathematics-Informatics Series 38: 55–63
Pollard C. and Sag I. (1994). Head-driven phrase structure grammar. Chicago University Press, Chicago
(1997). Handbook of formal languages. Springer, Berlin
Sabah G. (1997). The fundamental role of pragmatics in natural language understanding and its implications for modular, cognitively motivated architectures. In: Black, B. and Bunt, H. (eds) Studies in computational pragmatics: abduction belief and context, pp. University College Press, London
Sadock J.M. (1985). Autolexical syntax. A proposal for the treatment of noun incorporation and similar phenomena. Natural language and linguistic theory 3: 379–439
Sadock J. M. (1991). Autolexical syntax. A theory of parallel grammatical representations. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Salomaa A. (1973). Formal languages. Academic Press, New York
(1995). Autolexical theory. Ideas and methods. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin
Simon H.A. (1982). The sciences of the artificial. MIT Press, Cambridge
Smith G.W. (1991). Computers and human languages. Oxford University Press, New York
(1993). Advances in role and reference grammar. John Benjamins, Amsterdam
Weinberg A. (1987). Modularity in the syntactic parser. In: Garfield, J.L. (eds) Modularity in knowledge representation and natural-language understanding, pp 259–276. MIT Press, Cambridge
Werner E. (1989). Cooperating agents: a unified theory of communication and social structure. In: Gasser, L. and Huhns, N. (eds) Distributed artificial intelligence, pp. Pitman, London
Wilson D. and Sperber D. (1991). Pragmatics and Modularity. In: Davis, S. (eds) Pragmatics. A reader, pp 583–594. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
López, M.D.J. A grammar systems approach to natural language grammar. Linguistics & Philosophy 29, 419–454 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10988-006-0008-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10988-006-0008-x