Thomas Wasow
Biographic Data
| ID | 737442 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Thomas Wasow |
| GIVEN NAMES | Thomas |
| FAMILY NAME | Wasow |
| SIGNATURE | WASOW T |
| AFFILIATIONS | Stanford University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 29 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 249 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 29 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1973 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
Lessons from the English auxiliary system
The English auxiliary system exhibits many lexical exceptions and subregularities, and considerable dialectal variation, all of which are frequently omitted from generative analyses and discussions. This paper presents a detailed, movement-free account of the English Auxiliary System within Sign-Based Construction Grammar (Sag 2010, Michaelis 2011, Boas & Sag 2012) that utilizes techniques of lexicalist and construction-based analysis. The result…
Flexible Processing and the Design of Grammar
Processing as a Source of Accessibility Effects on Variation
Processing as a Source of Accessibility Effects on Variation
A variety of factors are known to influence relativizer likelihood (see, inter alia Biber et al. 1999; Fox and Thompson in review; Tagliamonte, Smith, and Lawrence 2005; Temperley 2003; Tottie 1995). We present new evidence that the conceptual accessibility (Bock and Warren 1985:50) of an NSRC’s subject affects relativizer likelihood: The more accessible the referent of a NSRC’s subject is in working memory, the less likely the NSRC is to have a …
The sociolinguistics of a short-lived innovation: Tracing the development of quotative all across spoken and internet newsgroup data
This paper examines a short-lived innovation, quotative all , in real and apparent time. We used a two-pronged method to trace the trajectory of all over the past two decades: (i) Quantitative analyses of the quotative system of young Californians from different decades; this reveals a startling crossover pattern: in 1990/1994, all predominates, but by 2005, it has given way to like . (ii) Searches of Internet newsgroups; these confirm that after…
Intensive and Quotativeall: Something Old, Something New
This article presents a synchronic and diachronic investigation of the lexeme all in its intensifier and quotative functions. We delimit the new from the old functions of the lexeme and present a variationist account of all's external and internal constraints in various syntactic environments. our analysis is based on a variety of data sets, which include traditional sociolinguistic interviews as well as data culled from internet searches and a n…
Intuitions in linguistic argumentation
Domain Minimization in English Verb-Particle Constructions
The placement of the particle before or after an object in the English verb-particle construction is influenced by a variety of factors. We argue that many of them can be subsumed under a single simple principle, motivated by considerations of processing efficiency: to the extent that the domains of syntactic and semantic dependencies can be minimized, processing is facilitated. We use a more precise formulation of this idea to make several predi…
Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction
This second edition of Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction expands and improves upon a truly unique introductory syntax textbook. Like the first edition its focus is on the development of precisely formulated grammars whose empirical predictions can be directly tested. There is also considerable emphasis on the prediction and evaluation of grammatical hypotheses, as well as on integrating syntactic hypotheses with matters of semantic analysis…
Heaviness vs. newness: The effects of structural complexity and discourse status on constituent ordering
Variations in postverbal constituent ordering have been attributed to both grammatical complexity (heaviness) and discourse status (newness), although few studies compare the two factors explicitly. Through corpus analysis and experimentation, we demonstrate that both factors simultaneously and independently influence word order in two English constructions. While past investigations of these factors have focused on their effects in language comp…
Repeating Words in Spontaneous Speech
Speakers often repeat the first word of major constituents, as in, "I uh I wouldn't be surprised at that." Repeats like this divide into four stages: an initial commitment to the constituent (with "I"); the suspension of speech; a hiatus in speaking (filled with "uh"); and a restart of the constituent ("I wouldn't."). An analysis of all repeated articles and pronouns in two large corpora of spontaneous speech shows that the four stages reflect di…
Remarks on grammatical weight
Long, complex phrases tend to come at the ends of clauses; this is called “endweight.” A variety of characterizations of weight have been proposed in the literature, but none has been sufficient to cover the full range of attested cases of end-weight. Corpus data on heavy NP shift, the dative alternation, and particle movement indicate that there are several structural measures of weight that are highly correlated with constituent ordering. Propo…
End-Weight from the Speaker's Perspective
An optimality theoretic approach to variation in negative inversion in Aave
Foundational Issues in Natural Language Processing
In four separate essays the authors address the complex and difficult connections among grammatical theory, mathematical linguistics, and the operation of real natural-language-processing systems, both human and electronic. The editors' introduction details the progress and problems involved in attempts to relate these four areas of research. William Rounds discusses the relevance of complexity results to linguistics and computational linguistics…
Patterns in the Mind: Language and Human Nature
The Fundamental Arguments Finding our way into the problem: The Nature/Nurture Issue The Argument for Mental Grammar The Argument for Innate Knowledge * The Organization Of Mental Grammar Overview Phonological Structure Syntactic Structure American Sign Language * Evidence For The Biological Basis Of Language How Children Learn Language Language Acquisition in Unusual Circumstances I Language Acquisition in Unusual Circumstances II Language and t…
Binding theory meets game theory
Idioms
In the literature of generative grammar, idiomaticity has been widely identified with noncompositionality. Such a definition fails to recognize several important dimensions of idiomaticity, including, among others, conventionality and figuration. We propose to distinguish IDIOMATICALLY COMBINING EXPRESSIONS (e.g. take advantage, pull strings ), whose meanings-while conventional-are distributed among their parts, from IDIOMATIC PHRASES (e.g. kick …
Essays on Anaphora
Alternative Conceptions of Phrase Structure
In the early years of generative grammar it was assumed that the appropriate mechanism for generating syntactic structures was a grammar of context-free rewriting rules. The twelve essays in this volume discuss recent challenges to this classical formulation of phrase structure and the alternative conceptions proposed to replace it. Each article approaches this issue from the perspective of a different linguistic framework, such as categorical gr…
Topic…comment: The wizards of ling
Coordination and how to distinguish categories
The Scope of Lexical Rules
Anaphora in Generative Grammar
Anaphora in Generative Grammar
Intuitively, it is clear why languages have anaphoric relations: anaphora reduces redundancy, thereby shortening (and hence simplifying) sentences. In order for this simplification to be possible, however, it is necessary that the speaker of a language be able to identify correctly the elements participating in an anaphoric relation and to determine correctly the meaning of the anaphor on the basis of meaning of the antecedent. If a grammar is to…
Idioms
In the literature of generative grammar, idiomaticity has been widely identified with noncompositionality. Such a definition fails to recognize several important dimensions of idiomaticity, including, among others, conventionality and figuration. We propose to distinguish IDIOMATICALLY COMBINING EXPRESSIONS (e.g. take advantage, pull strings ), whose meanings-while conventional-are distributed among their parts, from IDIOMATIC PHRASES (e.g. kick …
Coordination and how to distinguish categories
Intensive and Quotativeall: Something Old, Something New
This article presents a synchronic and diachronic investigation of the lexeme all in its intensifier and quotative functions. We delimit the new from the old functions of the lexeme and present a variationist account of all's external and internal constraints in various syntactic environments. our analysis is based on a variety of data sets, which include traditional sociolinguistic interviews as well as data culled from internet searches and a n…
Intuitions in linguistic argumentation
Remarks on grammatical weight
Long, complex phrases tend to come at the ends of clauses; this is called “endweight.” A variety of characterizations of weight have been proposed in the literature, but none has been sufficient to cover the full range of attested cases of end-weight. Corpus data on heavy NP shift, the dative alternation, and particle movement indicate that there are several structural measures of weight that are highly correlated with constituent ordering. Propo…
Heaviness vs. newness: The effects of structural complexity and discourse status on constituent ordering
Variations in postverbal constituent ordering have been attributed to both grammatical complexity (heaviness) and discourse status (newness), although few studies compare the two factors explicitly. Through corpus analysis and experimentation, we demonstrate that both factors simultaneously and independently influence word order in two English constructions. While past investigations of these factors have focused on their effects in language comp…
Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction
This second edition of Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction expands and improves upon a truly unique introductory syntax textbook. Like the first edition its focus is on the development of precisely formulated grammars whose empirical predictions can be directly tested. There is also considerable emphasis on the prediction and evaluation of grammatical hypotheses, as well as on integrating syntactic hypotheses with matters of semantic analysis…
The sociolinguistics of a short-lived innovation: Tracing the development of quotative all across spoken and internet newsgroup data
This paper examines a short-lived innovation, quotative all , in real and apparent time. We used a two-pronged method to trace the trajectory of all over the past two decades: (i) Quantitative analyses of the quotative system of young Californians from different decades; this reveals a startling crossover pattern: in 1990/1994, all predominates, but by 2005, it has given way to like . (ii) Searches of Internet newsgroups; these confirm that after…
Domain Minimization in English Verb-Particle Constructions
The placement of the particle before or after an object in the English verb-particle construction is influenced by a variety of factors. We argue that many of them can be subsumed under a single simple principle, motivated by considerations of processing efficiency: to the extent that the domains of syntactic and semantic dependencies can be minimized, processing is facilitated. We use a more precise formulation of this idea to make several predi…
End-Weight from the Speaker's Perspective
An optimality theoretic approach to variation in negative inversion in Aave
Lessons from the English auxiliary system
The English auxiliary system exhibits many lexical exceptions and subregularities, and considerable dialectal variation, all of which are frequently omitted from generative analyses and discussions. This paper presents a detailed, movement-free account of the English Auxiliary System within Sign-Based Construction Grammar (Sag 2010, Michaelis 2011, Boas & Sag 2012) that utilizes techniques of lexicalist and construction-based analysis. The result…
Anaphoric Pronouns and Bound Variables
Several syntactic rules in English are sensitive to the difference between pronouns and full NP's, and they sometimes must apply before anaphora relations can be determined. If anaphoric pronouns and their antecedents are derived from identical underlying forms (such as variables), then these rules cannot apply correctly, because they will be unable to distinguish between anaphors and antecedents. This argument does not depend crucially on the us…
The innateness hypothesis and grammatical relations
Anaphoric Pronouns and Bound Variables
Several syntactic rules in English are sensitive to the difference between pronouns and full NP's, and they sometimes must apply before anaphora relations can be determined. If anaphoric pronouns and their antecedents are derived from identical underlying forms (such as variables), then these rules cannot apply correctly, because they will be unable to distinguish between anaphors and antecedents. This argument does not depend crucially on the us…
Critical notices
On constraining the class of transformational languages
Anaphora in Generative Grammar
Intuitively, it is clear why languages have anaphoric relations: anaphora reduces redundancy, thereby shortening (and hence simplifying) sentences. In order for this simplification to be possible, however, it is necessary that the speaker of a language be able to identify correctly the elements participating in an anaphoric relation and to determine correctly the meaning of the anaphor on the basis of meaning of the antecedent. If a grammar is to…
Anaphora in Generative Grammar
The Scope of Lexical Rules
Topic…comment: The wizards of ling
Coordination and how to distinguish categories
Alternative Conceptions of Phrase Structure
In the early years of generative grammar it was assumed that the appropriate mechanism for generating syntactic structures was a grammar of context-free rewriting rules. The twelve essays in this volume discuss recent challenges to this classical formulation of phrase structure and the alternative conceptions proposed to replace it. Each article approaches this issue from the perspective of a different linguistic framework, such as categorical gr…
Essays on Anaphora
Binding theory meets game theory
Idioms
In the literature of generative grammar, idiomaticity has been widely identified with noncompositionality. Such a definition fails to recognize several important dimensions of idiomaticity, including, among others, conventionality and figuration. We propose to distinguish IDIOMATICALLY COMBINING EXPRESSIONS (e.g. take advantage, pull strings ), whose meanings-while conventional-are distributed among their parts, from IDIOMATIC PHRASES (e.g. kick …
Foundational Issues in Natural Language Processing
In four separate essays the authors address the complex and difficult connections among grammatical theory, mathematical linguistics, and the operation of real natural-language-processing systems, both human and electronic. The editors' introduction details the progress and problems involved in attempts to relate these four areas of research. William Rounds discusses the relevance of complexity results to linguistics and computational linguistics…
Patterns in the Mind: Language and Human Nature
The Fundamental Arguments Finding our way into the problem: The Nature/Nurture Issue The Argument for Mental Grammar The Argument for Innate Knowledge * The Organization Of Mental Grammar Overview Phonological Structure Syntactic Structure American Sign Language * Evidence For The Biological Basis Of Language How Children Learn Language Language Acquisition in Unusual Circumstances I Language Acquisition in Unusual Circumstances II Language and t…
An optimality theoretic approach to variation in negative inversion in Aave
Remarks on grammatical weight
Long, complex phrases tend to come at the ends of clauses; this is called “endweight.” A variety of characterizations of weight have been proposed in the literature, but none has been sufficient to cover the full range of attested cases of end-weight. Corpus data on heavy NP shift, the dative alternation, and particle movement indicate that there are several structural measures of weight that are highly correlated with constituent ordering. Propo…
End-Weight from the Speaker's Perspective
Repeating Words in Spontaneous Speech
Speakers often repeat the first word of major constituents, as in, "I uh I wouldn't be surprised at that." Repeats like this divide into four stages: an initial commitment to the constituent (with "I"); the suspension of speech; a hiatus in speaking (filled with "uh"); and a restart of the constituent ("I wouldn't."). An analysis of all repeated articles and pronouns in two large corpora of spontaneous speech shows that the four stages reflect di…
Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction
This second edition of Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction expands and improves upon a truly unique introductory syntax textbook. Like the first edition its focus is on the development of precisely formulated grammars whose empirical predictions can be directly tested. There is also considerable emphasis on the prediction and evaluation of grammatical hypotheses, as well as on integrating syntactic hypotheses with matters of semantic analysis…
Heaviness vs. newness: The effects of structural complexity and discourse status on constituent ordering
Variations in postverbal constituent ordering have been attributed to both grammatical complexity (heaviness) and discourse status (newness), although few studies compare the two factors explicitly. Through corpus analysis and experimentation, we demonstrate that both factors simultaneously and independently influence word order in two English constructions. While past investigations of these factors have focused on their effects in language comp…
Domain Minimization in English Verb-Particle Constructions
The placement of the particle before or after an object in the English verb-particle construction is influenced by a variety of factors. We argue that many of them can be subsumed under a single simple principle, motivated by considerations of processing efficiency: to the extent that the domains of syntactic and semantic dependencies can be minimized, processing is facilitated. We use a more precise formulation of this idea to make several predi…
Intuitions in linguistic argumentation
Intensive and Quotativeall: Something Old, Something New
This article presents a synchronic and diachronic investigation of the lexeme all in its intensifier and quotative functions. We delimit the new from the old functions of the lexeme and present a variationist account of all's external and internal constraints in various syntactic environments. our analysis is based on a variety of data sets, which include traditional sociolinguistic interviews as well as data culled from internet searches and a n…
The sociolinguistics of a short-lived innovation: Tracing the development of quotative all across spoken and internet newsgroup data
This paper examines a short-lived innovation, quotative all , in real and apparent time. We used a two-pronged method to trace the trajectory of all over the past two decades: (i) Quantitative analyses of the quotative system of young Californians from different decades; this reveals a startling crossover pattern: in 1990/1994, all predominates, but by 2005, it has given way to like . (ii) Searches of Internet newsgroups; these confirm that after…
Linguistics (25 works) · Philosophy (22 works) · Computer Science (20 works) · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation (16 works) · Psychology (14 works) · Natural Language Processing Techniques (11 works) · Artificial Intelligence (10 works) · Natural language processing (10 works) · Artificial Intelligence (6 works) · Epistemology (6 works)