Syntax III: Mapping Ambiguity Gareth Price – Duke University

Rules for Lectures in Syntax ??!Ǿ √nowlater

Why analyse Syntax? It tells us the structure of sentences It satisfies a curiosity about language in the same as e.g. Crosswords and, for numbers, Sudoku Drawing trees is a great party trick... and kills a few hours on the bus.

What does it tell us about the structure of sentences?

Recall: XP = {spec} + X’ then X’ = X + YP / YP + X (complement = necessary to the operation of the sentence) or X’ = YP + X’ / X’ + YP (adjunct = incidental to the operation of the sentence)

New housing project for elderly not yet dead

Two meanings: (a) new housing project for (the) elderly (is) not yet dead (in e.g. the House) (a) new housing project (is) for (the) elderly (who are) not yet dead

Two meanings: {literal} Surface structure / Phonetic Form [PF] There is a housing project for the elderly (who are not yet dead) {contextual} Deep structure / Logical form [LF] A housing project for the elderly is still viable / being discussed

PF Did you hear that whale? LF Did you hear that wail? = no such thing as context-free language

NP VP V’ PP N’ P’ AP A’ NP NP N’ Adv.P Adv.’ AP A’ A N N V P N Neg Adv A New housing project is for elderly not yet dead

NP VP V’ PP N’ P’ AP A’ NP NP N’ Adv.P Adv.’ AP A’ A N N P N V Neg Adv A New housing project for elderly is not yet dead

Complaints Against ACC Referees Growing Ugly

Complaints Against ACC Referees [are] Growing Ugly

Complaints [are] Against ACC Referees Growing Ugly

[There are] Complaints Against ACC Referees Growing Ugly

Recall: Case marking Canis hominem mordet Canem hominis mordet

EMT Team Help Dog Bite Man

I shot the Sheriff with a badge

I shot the Sheriff with a gun

I shot the Sheriff with my boots on

Flowers ate the desks with my boots

Colourless green bottles sleep furiously

Det. Adj. N V Adv. PP Det. N

Det. Adj. N V Adv. P Det. N The acturous parples thrustle grimulously in the glosselthrop

What does syntax learn us?