Formal Representation of Natural Language

Introduction

The course will provide the following learning outcomes:

1. To understand the logic behind several important theories of syntax and its interactions with sound and meaning.
2. To be able to apply that understanding to evaluate the relevance of those theories and their limitations with respect to Russian.
3. To be able to apply the scientific method to analyse several empirical phenomena in Russian.

Assessment

The course will be assessed by one 4,500-word essay critically reviewing one original research article pertaining to the course’s main topics.

Preliminary timeline

Lecture 1: Introduction

• Grammar as science
  • the scientific method (descriptive and explanatory vs. prescriptive; potential clashes)
  • asbtract models of knowledge
  • hierarchical structure
  • word classes
  • lexical and functional categories

Lecture 2: Syntax

• Fundamental concepts
  • morphemes, words, phrases, sentences
  • heads and their dependents
  • constituent structure
  • constituency tests
  • structural relations
    

Lecture 3: Syntax

• sentences and constituents
  • adjuncts, complements and specifiers
• syntactic processes
  • movement
  • restrictions on movement

Lecture 4: Syntax

• syntactic processes
  • movement and information structure
  • scrambling, focus fronting, topicalisation
    

Lecture 5: Syntax/Semantics

• Negation and polarity in Russian
  • negative concord, polarity licensing
  • positive polarity and disjunction

Lecture 6: Semantics

• Meaning and structure
  • compositionality
  • syntax-to-semantics mapping
  • semantics primer: sets and functions

Lecture 7: Semantics

• fundamentals of tense, aspect and aktionsart
• tense and aspect in clausal architecture
• lexical and superlexical prefixes in Russian