Types vs. Sorts in HPSG

[Lutz Gunkel]

Hi Carl

>To me "type" and "sort" are synonyms, at least in the context
>of feature structures.

As I see it types/sorts play a role for both feature structures and feature
structure descriptions (or, more precisely, formulae of feature logic that
AVMs are abbreviations of). It is said that feature structures are sorted
(or typed) and that feature structure descriptions are sorted (or typed) as
well, the relevant difference being that as for feature structures only
maximally specific sorts (or types) are assumed. Now, if this is correct
then "sort" ("type") cannot refer to the same thing with respect to
(sorted) feature structures and with respect to (sorted) feature structure
descriptions for the latter are *descriptions* of the former. A possible
solution might be to make a terminological distinction and use "type" in
the context of feature structures and "sort" in the context of feature
structure descriptions. At least, this is the position taken up in Kiss
(1995b:44f.) which I have always found convincing.

Best,
Lutz

@Book{		  Kiss:95b,
  address	= "Opladen, Wiesbaden",
  author	= "Tibor Kiss",
  publisher	= "Westdeutscher Verlag",
  title		= "Merkmale und Repr{\"a}sentationen",
  year		= "1995"
}
____________________
Lutz Gunkel
FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN
FB Philosophie und Geisteswissenschaften
Faechergruppe Germanistik
Habelschwerdter Allee 45
D-14195 Berlin
Tel.: +49(0)30 21751353  (home)
Email: gunkel at zedat.fu-berlin.de