Although the connection between natural language syntax and semantics has received serious attention in both linguistics and computational linguistics for the last several decades, it does not appear that it has yet been entirely satisfactorily identified. The present dissertation focuses on quantifier scope ambiguity in an attempt to identify such a connection. We show that there are some read...

Previous work examining prosodic cues in online spoken word recognition has focused primarily on local cues to word identity. However, recent studies have suggested that sentence-level prosodic patterns can also influence the downstream interpretation of lexically ambiguous syllables (Dilley & McAuley, 2008; Dilley, Mattys, & Vinke, 2010). To test the hypothesis that these distal prosody effect...

Over the last few decades, a considerable number of experimental studies have been made on the time-course of literal and nonliteral comprehension. These studies have been devoted to test two incompatible models of nonliteral processing: serial model and parallel (direct) model. The serial model states that literal interpretation is an obligatory process and nonliteral interpretation is trigger...

Aim. To identify the linguo-stylistic and lexical-semantic features of verbalizing characters’ emotions typical for fictional diary genre. Methodology. The study was conducted using methods interpretation analysis text, continuous sampling, categorization classification, as well descriptive statistical methods. Results . revealed that predominant ways a character in diaries are implicit. showed...

Discourse in formal domains, such as mathematics, is characterized by a mixture of telegraphic natural language and embedded (semi-)formal symbolic mathematical expressions. Due to the lack of empirical data, little is known about the suitability of input analysis methods for mathematical discourse in a dialog setting. We present an input understanding method for a tutoring system teaching math...

The effects of prior semantic context upon lexical access during sentence processing were examined for three groups of subjects; nonfluent agrammatic (Broca's) aphasic patients; fluent (Wernicke's) aphasic patients; and neurologically intact control patients. Subjects were asked to comprehend auditorily presented, structurally simple sentences containing lexical ambiguities, which were in a con...

In this paper we discuss the analysis of expressions such as John’s team, John’s brother, John’s favorite movie, Mary’s favorite chair, Mary’s former mansion. Before introducing the concrete problems, we briefly describe our theoretical perspective. Our theoretical concern is the integration of formal semantics and lexical semantics, especially but not exclusively in the traditions of Montague ...