Computational issues in compound processing
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Vito Pirrelli
Abstract
Understanding compounds is a challenging computational task, cutting across multiple levels of linguistic analysis and touching upon intricate issues of representation, grammar architecture and algorithmic processing. At the same time, compounds raise all these problems in the most direct and exemplar way. From this perspective, they are an ideal probe into core issues of language architecture, making us pause about the need for advanced processing models and multi-disciplinary approaches to long-lasting linguistic cruces. This chapter reviews some of the lessons that can be learned from reading twenty years of computational literature on the topic and assesses them against the background of germane theoretical and cognitive issues.
Abstract
Understanding compounds is a challenging computational task, cutting across multiple levels of linguistic analysis and touching upon intricate issues of representation, grammar architecture and algorithmic processing. At the same time, compounds raise all these problems in the most direct and exemplar way. From this perspective, they are an ideal probe into core issues of language architecture, making us pause about the need for advanced processing models and multi-disciplinary approaches to long-lasting linguistic cruces. This chapter reviews some of the lessons that can be learned from reading twenty years of computational literature on the topic and assesses them against the background of germane theoretical and cognitive issues.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Why compounding? 1
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Section 1. Delimiting the field
- The role of syntax and morphology in compounding 21
- Constraints on compounds and incorporation 37
- Compounding versus derivation 57
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Section 2. At the core of compounding
- Units in compounding 77
- Compound construction: Schemas or analogy? 93
- The head in compounding 109
- On the lexical semantics of compounds 127
- The phonology of compounds 145
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Section 3. Typology and types of compounds
- The typology of exocentric compounding 167
- Coordination in compounding 177
- Parasynthetic compounds 199
- Synthetic compounds 219
- Corpus data and theoretical implications 237
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Section 4. Quantitative and psycholinguistic aspects of compounding
- Frequency effects in compound processing 257
- Computational issues in compound processing 271
- Relational competition during compound interpretation 287
- Sign languages and compounding 301
- First language acquisition of compounds 323
- List of abbreviations 345
- Master list of references 349
- Language index 377
- Subject index 379
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Why compounding? 1
-
Section 1. Delimiting the field
- The role of syntax and morphology in compounding 21
- Constraints on compounds and incorporation 37
- Compounding versus derivation 57
-
Section 2. At the core of compounding
- Units in compounding 77
- Compound construction: Schemas or analogy? 93
- The head in compounding 109
- On the lexical semantics of compounds 127
- The phonology of compounds 145
-
Section 3. Typology and types of compounds
- The typology of exocentric compounding 167
- Coordination in compounding 177
- Parasynthetic compounds 199
- Synthetic compounds 219
- Corpus data and theoretical implications 237
-
Section 4. Quantitative and psycholinguistic aspects of compounding
- Frequency effects in compound processing 257
- Computational issues in compound processing 271
- Relational competition during compound interpretation 287
- Sign languages and compounding 301
- First language acquisition of compounds 323
- List of abbreviations 345
- Master list of references 349
- Language index 377
- Subject index 379
