coordination of unlikes

[S. Yatabe]

Carl,

You wrote (several messages ago):

>I think in both LFG and HPSG the answer is roughly that the feature
>structure (f-structure for LFG, category for HPSG) of a coordinate
>structure is the set of categories of the conjuncts. Or at least
>the analog of `set' in some interpretation of higher-order logic.

I was wondering if it wouldn't be better to employ lists rather than
(the analog of) sets in this context.  More specifically, how about
saying
 (i)   that the value of the HEAD feature is not just a single "head"
       object but a list of "head" objects,
 (ii)  that the HEAD value of a coordinate structure is the list
       obtained by concatenating the HEAD values of the conjuncts, and
 (iii) that the VALENCE value of a coordinate structure is identical
       to the VALENCE value of each of the conjuncts?

If we do this, we will also have to assume that the MOD feature is not
a head feature but a valence feature, and so on, and I haven't really
thought through all the ramifications, but this analysis seems capable
not only of capturing coordination of unlikes but also of providing a
basis for developing an adequate account of sentences involving
"agreement with the nearest conjunct", namely sentences like "There
was a man and two women in the room." and "Either your brakes or your
eyesight is at fault."
Doesn't look so bad, does it?

Shuichi Yatabe
yatabe at boz.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp
http://gamp.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/yatabe/