Abstract We use the MG treebank of Torr (2017) to investigate the conjecture in Graf (2020) that category systems are ISL-2 inferrable. A category system is ISL-2 inferrable iff the category feature of every lexical item can be jointly inferred from phonological exponents of both the item itself and either its selecting head or the arguments it selects. If correct, this conjecture would greatly limit the overgeneration problem posed by subcategorization mechanisms (Kobele, 2011; Graf, 2011, 2017). We find that the conjecture is largely borne out in this data set. However, we also observe that it holds even for features that are not expected to be inferrable in this manner, and we demonstrate that inferrability can arise from the assumption that certain distributional properties of the lexicon are Zipfian in nature. We conclude that category systems in natural languages may well be ISL-2 inferrable, but that this could be due to extragrammatical factors.

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Curbing Feature Coding: Strictly Local Feature Assignment

Sat 04 January 2020 | in Presentations |
| subcategorization | constraints | subregular | syntax | features | transductions |

Graf, Thomas

Abstract Graf (2017) warns that every syntactic formalism faces a severe overgeneration problem because of the hidden power of subcategorization. Any constraint definable in monadic second-order logic can be compiled into the category system so that it is indirectly enforced as part of …
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Subregular Linguistics for Linguists
Fri 08 November 2019 | in Presentations |
| subregular | phonology | syntax | tiers | islands | subcategorization |

Graf, Thomas
Abstract Drawing from computational work that is known as the subregular program, I argue against two received views in linguistics: “phonology and syntax are very different’ and “subcategorization is a solved problem”.
1. Cognitive parallelism
  Subregular notions of complexity can be applied to strings …
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Features: More Trouble Than They’re Worth?
Mon 27 May 2019 | in Presentations |
| constraints | features | subregular | syntax | morphosyntax | subcategorization |

Graf, Thomas
Abstract Do contemporary syntactic theories rely on too many features? Decades of computational research have culminated in two contradictory answers:
- Yes, there are too many features because having at least two features is already one too many and brings in undesirable overgeneration.
- No …
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A Computational Guide to the Dichotomy of Features and Constraints

Wed 27 July 2016 | in Papers |
| Minimalist grammars | syntax | typology | categories | subcategorization | model-theoretic syntax | generative capacity |

Graf, Thomas

Abstract A contentious issue in the Minimalist literature is whether certain phenomena are best described in terms of features or constraints. Building on recent work in mathematical linguistics, I argue that constraints and features are interchangeable in Minimalist syntax. This does not invalidate …
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A Computational Guide to the Dichotomy of Features and Constraints

Thu 05 March 2015 | in Presentations |
| syntax | Minimalist grammars | model-theoretic syntax | subcategorization | features | constraints | overgeneration |

Graf, Thomas

Abstract I draw on various result from mathematical linguistics to argue that feature-based accounts and constraint-based ones should not be viewed as competing with each other but rather as complementing each other. In particular, recent results on Minimalist grammars show that features and …
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