Abstract Can recurrent neural nets, inspired by human sequential data processing, learn to understand language? We construct simplified sets reflecting core properties of natural language as modeled in formal syntax and semantics: recursive syntactic structure compositionality. find LSTM GRU networks generalize compositional interpretation well, but only the most favorable learning settings, wi...

This paper analyzes the mechanisms of syntactic and semantic change involved in development degree modifier algo “a bit, a little” Spanish from an indefinite pronoun with inanimate reference meaning “something”. Specifically, it focuses on distribution Medieval Classical periods its interpretation partitive pseudo-partitive constructions. I argue for combination structural pragmatic factors cre...

Ambiguity resolution is a central problem in language comprehension. Lexical and syntactic ambiguities are standardly assumed to involve different types of knowledge representations and be resolved by different mechanisms . An alternative account is provided in which both types of ambiguity derive from aspects of lexical representation and are resolved by the same processing mechanisms . Reinte...

Abstract. D-LTAG is a discourse-level extension of Lexicalized Tree-Adjoining Grammar (LTAG), in which discourse syntax is projected by different types of discourse connectives and discourse interpretation is a product of compositional rules, anaphora resolution, and inference. In this paper, we present a D-LTAG extension of ongoing work on an LTAG syntaxsemantic interface. First, we show how p...

The paper investigates several issues in the syntax/semantics of comparison constructions Turkish. We first show that although use nominalized constituents marking standard comparison, they involve rich clausal structure under this nominalization. Second, we demonstrate interpretation is constrained by syntactic structure, differing from languages primarily thrive on contextual cues. also addre...

The meaning of ‘we’ is usually seen as ‘I þ others’. Russian, along with many other languages, has a construction that allows an overt specification of ‘others’, the so-called Plural Pronoun Construction (PPC), which involves a plural pronoun and a comitative phrase. The syntactic behavior of this comitative phrase differs from that of other withphrases such as VP-adjuncts, NP-adjuncts, and com...

We present an integrated approach for the interpretation of word hypotheses graphs (WHGs) using multiple knowledge sources. Commonly, di erent knowledge sources in speech understanding are applied sequentially. Typically, speech understanding systems, such as the Verbmobil speech-to-speech translation system, rst use a word recognizer to determine word hypotheses, only based on acoustic and lan...

I t has been widely claimed that the systems employed in tasks of immediate memory have a function in the comprehension of speech; these systems, it has been proposed, are used to hold a representation of the speech until a syntactic analysis and interpretation have been completed. Such a holding function is meant to be especially important where the sentences heard are long or complex. I t has...

Differences in caregiver input across socioeconomic status (SES) predict syntactic development, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Input effects may reflect the exposure needed to acquire syntactic representations during learning (e.g., does the child have the relevant structures for passive sentences?) or access this knowledge during communication (e.g., can she use the past participl...

Diagrams are common tools for representing complex concepts, relationships and events, often when it would be difficult to portray the same information with natural images. Understanding natural images has been extensively studied in computer vision, while diagram understanding has received little attention. In this paper, we study the problem of diagram interpretation and reasoning, the challe...