feature structures vs. feature structure descriptions

[Harry Bunt]

Many points of view on the formal status of features structures and
their descriptions do indeed seem possible, and I find it interesting to
see different views colliding in this discussion concerning questions that
have also puzzled me. I wonder what you mean by saying "feature structures
are models of linguistic expressions". As a model-theoretic semanticist, I
am familiar with the notion of a model of a language: the mathematical
object (M), typically a set-theoretic structure, containing the elements
that serve as semantic interpretations of the expressions of a language
(L). My impression is that Lutz Gunkel is thinking in these
model-theoretic terms of languages and models, whereas your notion of
model of a linguistic expression seems to be different; could you say a
bit more about that?

(By the way, the distinction between languages and models is pointless for
languages consisting of unique (`canonical') descriptions of
model-theoretic objects. In that case, there may indeed be a difference in
point of view that has no formal substance. But that's not really what the
present discussion is about, I guess.)

Harry Bunt.

On Thu, 28 Jan 1999, Carl Pollard wrote:

> I suppose many points of view are possible. The way I think of it is
> that feature structures are models of linguistic expressions and their
> parts, and feature logic is an (object) language for talking about
> them. If by "feature descriptions" you mean attribute-value matices,
> then I would say they are informal substitutes for formulas of
> feature logic. A more precise expression of this point of view
> is given in my paper `Strong generative capacity in HPSG' in the
> Kathol, Koenig, and Webelhuth volume.
>
> Carl
>

------------------------------------------------------
 Harry C. Bunt
 Professor of Linguistics and Computer Science
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 Tilburg University
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