Graf, Thomas, and Natasha Abner

Abstract Recent results show that both TAG and Minimalist grammars can be enriched with rational constraints without increasing their strong generative capacity, where a constraint is rational iff it can be computed by a bottom-up tree automaton. This raises the question which aspects of syntax can be adequately formalized using only such constraints. One of hardest phenomena commonly studied by syntacticians is binding theory. In this paper, we give a high-level implementation of (the syntactic parts of) binding theory in terms of rational constraints, and we argue that this implementation is sufficiently powerful for natural language. This conclusion is backed up by data drawn from English, German, and American Sign Language.

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@InProceedings{GrafAbner12TAG,
  author    = {Graf, Thomas and Natasha Abner},
  title     = {Is Syntactic Binding Rational?},
  year      = {2012},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the 11th International Workshop
          on {T}ree {A}djoining {G}rammars and Related Formalisms ({TAG+11})},
  pages     = {189--197},
  url = {http://thomasgraf.net/doc/papers/GrafAbner12TAG.pdf}
}

More Output

Is Syntactic Binding Rational?

Wed 26 September 2012 | in Presentations |
| binding | Principle B | finite-state | typology | sign language | English | German |

Graf, Thomas, and Natasha Abner

Abstract Recent results show that both TAG and Minimalist grammars can be enriched with rational constraints without increasing their strong generative capacity, where a constraint is rational iff it can be computed by a bottom-up tree automaton. This raises the …
read more
Binding Complexity and the Status of Pronouns in English and Asl

Fri 01 June 2012 | in Presentations |
| binding | Principle B | sign language | English |

Abner, Natasha, and Thomas Graf

Abstract We have argued in previous work based on data from English that Principle B is suspended in all those contexts that would allow for an unbounded number of pronouns to occur within a single binding domain. American Sign Language …
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The Complexity of Binding in English and ASL

Thu 19 April 2012 | in Presentations |
| binding | Principle B | finite-state | typology | sign language | English |

Abner, Natasha, and Thomas Graf

Abstract It is a well-known fact that pronouns can sometimes be locally bound in English, for instance in picture-phrases and certain adjuncts. Even though many different analyses have been developed over the years, it is still unclear why English …
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Why There Must Be Exceptions to Principle B

Sat 14 April 2012 | in Presentations |
| binding | formal universals | typology | Principle B | coordination |

Graf, Thomas

Abstract Recent Minimalist thinking has been strongly influenced by the idea that some universals may be due to factors outside the language faculty, in particular limited computational resources (Chomsky 2005). In combination with recent results on Stablerian Minimalist grammars (Stabler 1997, Graf 2011 …
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