Argues that Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) languages exhibit properties that are consistent with the typology of Lehmann and Venneman in which the basic dichotomy is between Object-Verb and Verb-Object languages and that there is no reason to believe that there are fewer exceptionless generalizations to be made about SVO languages than there are about…

Explores concepts of formal language and automata theory underlying computational linguistics. A computational formalism is described known as a "logic grammar," with which computational systems process linguistic data, with examples in declarative and procedural semantics and definite clause grammars. (13 references) (CB)

This study examines certain tonal phenomena in Krachi, a language with two phonologically contrastive pitch levels. It is argued that the Krachi data are best analyzed as involving an upward shifting of the tonal register (upstep), and that upstep in Krachi provides evidence for the inclusion of a register tier in tonal theory. (65 references) (JL)

Using framework of prototype semantics, TE-constructions (type of verbal construct in Japanese), are categorized according to underlying metaphors and related to central TE-construction in which K- 1K- indicate both motion and direction in physical space. Through descriptions, discussions, and examples, it is demonstrated that no adequate…

Demonstrates that structure and interpretation of Resultative Verb Compound (RVC) in the field of Chinese linguistics is neither indiosyncratic nor pragmatically determined as suggested in an earlier study. Rather, RCV formation and interpretation is determined by semantic features of verbs, and these features determine the well-formedness and…

Analogical leveling in progress of a potential suffix in Tokyo Japanese is analyzed within a quantitative model. The phenomenon is shown to be controlled by five factors: sociological variable complex, verb stem length, verb conjugation pattern, the following inflectional form, and embeddedness of the clause containing the suffix. (Contains 70…

Describes the unique behavior of two clitic particles in Chamicuro, a moribund Amazonian language. In Chamicuro "na" and "ka" are basically articles, yet they contrast for tense. (Author/VWL)

Analyzes two seemingly different types of adjectives in Japanese and claims they share fundamentally similar phrase structures. Discusses the hypothesis that there is a phrase for predication. Japanese adjectives show morphological corroboration for this phrase, which is referred to as the predicative copula. (Author/VWL)

Elucidates the syntactic properties of the dative-subject constructions that occur in Japanese and Korean. Gives a consistent account, with the aid of the Agr-less checking theory, of their syntactic properties. (Author/VWL)

Shows that endoclitics do exist in Udi--a language of the North East Caucasian family--which poses a challenge to the lexicalist hypothesis. Argues, on the basis of accepted tests for wordhood, that complex verb stems are single words and not phrases. (Author/VWL)

Looks at infinitival relative clauses, such as "Mary is the person to ask," and their distribution in spoken English. Analyzes the correlation between the function of the antecedent in the relative clause and the function of the whole postmodified noun phrase in the matrix clause. (Author/JL)

Discussion of the Spanish indeterminate reflexive construction, the impersonal reflexive, finds that prototype theory allows this subjectless Spanish construction to be included within the category of generally subject-bearing indeterminates in Romance languages. (MSE)

Reports three studies of comprehension of French subject relative clauses and two forms of object relative clauses. The first tested the hypothesis that competition between noun phrases, memory load, and perspective maintenance determine difficulty of role assignment in reversible relative clauses; others compared subject relatives and inverted…

Presents sign language as a central fact in the life of deaf individuals and groups and therefore as a focus for educational efforts. Looks at the different ways languages are presented to the eye instead of the ear, examines bilingualism and its special life in the life and education of deaf persons, and shows teachers ways to ask and answer…

Challenges assumptions regarding dative alternation and proposes an account in terms of one general constraint of what makes a verb a possible verb, which operates over verb-specific conceptual information. Central to the proposal is the assumption that the different forms of dative verbs do not only encode different conceptual representations of…