Semantic content & linguistic objects in DM

[Karim Achab]

Re: Semantic content & linguistic objects in DMHello Martha,

Thank you very much for your response. 

That obviously helps me in that it corrects my understanding of the statement that in DM there is no lexicon. So it is admitted that there is at least a lexicon / mental dictionary composed of lexical roots (?)

Regards,

Karim
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Martha McGinnis 
  To: DM-LIST at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG 
  Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 2:49 PM
  Subject: Re: Semantic content & linguistic objects in DM


  Dear Karim,


    If the terminal nodes are not specified semantically how then can the right phonological features be targeted? In other words, at which point in the derivation is the feature [+ voiced] of the phoneme /g/ specified so that the word gap be inserted instead of the word cap in a sentence for or even cat instead of a dog ?


  In DM, any lexical root (cat, cap, dog, gap) can be inserted into any syntactic position provided for lexical roots.  So the syntax could generate, for example, a structure with (among other things):


  - a subject DP containing a definite determiner and a root
  - a tense node specified for past tense
  - a verb phrase containing a verbal head, a root, and an object DP...
  - ...which in turn contains a definite determiner and a root.


  The morphophonology could then produce 'The dog chased the cat,' 'The cap built the gap', or whatever sense or nonsense you like, as long as it has the form 'The X verbed the Y'.  This output is then interpreted semantically by consulting the Encyclopedia, which tells us what cats and gaps and caps and dogs are.


  Does that help?


  Best,
  Martha
--
mcginnis at ucalgary.ca
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