Thesis (M.S.)--Middle East Technical University, 2005. / Keywords: Gradience, Unaccusative/Unergative Distinction, Split Intransitivity Hierarchy, Human Computer Interaction, Magnitude Estimation.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Santa Cruz, 1982. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 211-214).

Habilitationsschrift--Tübingen. / Bibliography: p. 258-264.

Thesis (Ph. D)--UCLA, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-159).

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

This thesis concerns itself with the core syntactic phenomenon traditionally thought of within Principles and Parameters approaches in terms of movement. The point of departure is the observation that in two important respects, the characterization of this phenomenon in the recent Minimalist model of grammar (Chomsky 1993, 1995) (in terms of the operation Move) seems to fall short of that in the earlier GB model (Chomsky 1981, 1986) (in terms of the rule Move-a): first, the notion that movement operations apply freely seems impossible to maintain - a theoretical inadequacy; second, there is no obvious way of dealing with "optionality" phenomena - an empirical inadequacy. This thesis argues, however, that these apparent serious inadequacies of the Minimalist framework are in fact principledly soluble, and crucially without reverting to a GB-type model. The thesis falls into two parts, corresponding to the theoretical and empirical problems noted above. The central proposal of Part I is the Copy Hypothesis (Chapter 2): "all copies in a chain are active in the computational system". The relevance of this proposal is that, due ultimately to very fundamental properties of the standard Minimalist model, it actually appears impossible to maintain the notion that movement operations apply to any element - contrary to the Copy Hypothesis. However, I show how general conditions on movement are in fact sufficient to properly regulate the activity of traces, and give detailed arguments against Chomsky's (1995) proposal that "trace is immobile". Further to this, I show that the Copy Hypothesis has empirical applications involving the behaviour of wh-objects and associates of there in English, as well as computational complexity implications (Chapters 3 and 4). The Copy Hypothesis of Chapter 2 goes on to play an important role in Part II, in which I takes up the topic of optionality. The economy principles assumed to constrain derivations (in particular Last Resort) seem to exclude the possibility of optionality within the computational system. Since there is a certain amount of data which do appear to involve such optionality, the Minimalist framework evidently faces a major empirical problem, again seeming to lose out earlier models in which optionality data could be characterized simply in terms of optional application of Move-a. In Chapters 5 and 6, I show that there is in fact scope for some syntactic optionality within the derivational economy system. A system is developed whereby economy conditions in conjunction with feature properties of lexical items can derive variation in the timing of movement relative to Spell-Out. In this way, I account for optionality data (plus associated non-optionality effects) from French (optionality of participle agreement), English and Swedish (optional partial associate-movement with non-Case/agreement-checking expletives there and det 'it'), Icelandic, German and Dutch (optional overt Object Shift).

Software Engineering progresses as improvements are made in languages and methodologies. Significant advances have been made through the use of Object- Oriented Programming, exploiting the effective support available in C++. Further evolution of OOP involving the use of design patterns and aspects requires additional language support. Increased flexibility in the declaration of objects is proposed in the form of the FOG (Flexible Object Generator) language, which is a superset of C++ implemented by a translator to C++. FOG generalises C++ syntax and supports compile-time meta-programming and reflection. The syntax generalisations provide the freedom for programmers to organise code to suit programming concerns and eliminate the need for duplication between interfaces and implementations. Further generalisations define composition policies for repeated declarations so that classes, arrays, enumerations and functions may all be extended. These composition policies support the weaving necessary for re-useable implementation of design patterns and for Aspect Oriented Programming. A declarative form of meta-programming is supported by derivation rules, which specify how a declaration specified in a base class is to be reinterpreted in derived classes. Automated generation of derived functionality is important for a number of design patterns. More general meta-programming is provided by elevating most run-time concepts to the meta-level, allowing conditional and iterated manipulation of declarations at compile-time. Compile-time execution enables subsequent run-time code to be optimised to suit application requirements. The use of meta-variables and meta-functions together with a well-disciplined lexical context for meta-programming and meta-level execution provide a complete replacement for the traditional C preprocessor functionality, satisfying Stroustrup's goal of making Cpp redundant [Stroustrup97]. The new functionality is integrated with the language, fits within an Object-Oriented framework and provides adequate support for modern Software Engineering practices. The C++ grammar is known to pose a significant parsing challenge and to require context dependent type and template knowledge. This creates considerable difficulties when meta-programming occurs in unresolved contexts. A new approach to parsing C++ has therefore been developed that defers the use of type and template information. This approach leads to a simpler grammar implementation. An extended form of regular expression is presented and used to predict known ambiguities and then show that this simpler grammar covers the C++ grammar.

The aim of this study is to discover the relationship between the ability of a human being to use language to express ever new thoughts, on the one hand, and the presence in natural languages of devices for the derivation of an infinity of deep structure types for sentences, on the other. The conclusion reached is that the full expression of thought can be carried on in a language with a finite and small number of deep structure types for sentences. This apparently conflicts with the claims of Noam Chomsky and other contemporary linguists to the reverse effect. The significance of this result is further explored within the overall context of generative linguistic theory. The material is organized in the following way. The first chapter begins with an exposition of the basic elements of generative transformational theory, and focuses on the definition of recursive sets of rules and recursive derivations of sentences. It continues with an exposition of the theory of generative linguistics as a branch of human psychology, and raises, and briefly discusses/ the question of the extent to which progress in descriptive linguistics automatically constitutes progress in that portion of explanatory linguistics which attempts to explain the possibility of there being rational as opposed to non-rational creatures, creatures who use language creatively as opposed to creatures which are incapable of such a use of language. The question is not pursued very far, but it is clear that Chomsky and other generative transformational linguists such as Fodor and Katz take it that the recursive generation of sentences is a necessary feature of the language of a rational creature, or a creature whose thought processes and whose expressive capacities are on a par with those of humans. This claim is an interesting one, but it is never supported by analysis. Accordingly the chapter closes with a discussion of the means whereby the claim may be checked. The second chapter performs a test on a crucial portion of the claim, and yields the following negative result: the recursive generation of deep structure types for sentences is not necessary for the full expression of thought. The chapter is long and tangled, but unified around the demonstration of this point. In the third chapter, the significance of this result is explored. I argue that the lexicon contains some underlying recursions — a point which is apparently denied by Chomsky, Fodor, Katz and Postal. I argue further than an extended study would be required to determine, whether or not these recursions are necessary for thought expression. The question of recursive generation of paragraphs is also raised, and some considerations are brought forth suggesting that regardless of whether or not lexical recursions are necessary for thought expression, a claim that they are, and a claim that the recursive generation of paragraphs is necessary for thought expression would have quite different implications for semantic theory and psycholinguistics as compared with the claim that the recursive generation of deep structure types for sentences is necessary for thought expression. Finally, the relationship between the analysis of Chapter Two and the assumption in semantic theory that the semantic content of a complex sentence is a function of the semantic content of its elementary propositions and their structural relations is touched upon. It is suggested that a demonstration of the non-necessity of recursive generation of deep structure types, supplemented in certain ways, provides a justification for what is now often assumed but not justified -- that the semantic content of complex propositions can be recursively specified in terms of the semantic content of its elementary propositions and their structural relations. / Arts, Faculty of / Philosophy, Department of / Graduate

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