How to make a dictionary- 27.11.2007

TYPES OF LEXICAL INFORMATION: GRAMMAR (PARTS OF SPEECH CATEGORIES & SUBCATEGORIES)

● Types of lexical information: syntax
– Sentence structure - “syntax”, “phrasal syntax”
– Syntactic categories
o parts of speech (POS)
o subcategories
o phrasal categories

● The structure of language: constitutive relations:
– structural relations
o syntagmatic relations
o paradigmatic relations
– semiotic relations
o interpretation relations
o realisation relations

● Text structure - “text syntax”

Grammar:
● “Grammar” is a rather broad term
– It covers
o orthography
o phonology
o morphology
o syntax (sentence structure)
o lexical idiosyncrasies
– Sometimes “grammar” is restricted to mean just
o sentence structure.

● The term “syntax” originally meant structure
– However, “syntax” is also sometimes restricted to mean just
o sentence structure

● However there are other meanings:
– word grammar, word syntax
– text grammar, text syntax


Sentence structure:
● A structure is an arrangement of objects in a certain
orderin relation to each other.
● This applies to
– architecture
– traffic systems
– paintings
– music
– written and spoken language
– ...

● A structure consists of relations of two kinds:
– paradigmatic relations
o classificatory relations of similarity and difference between objects
– syntagmatic relations
o compositional relations between parts of a larger whole

● Sentences consist of
– Words
o and which are grouped into larger phrases
– Phrases
● which are grouped into
o even larger phrases
o and into sentences
– Sentences
● which may also be grouped into more complex sentences:
o with subordinate clauses
* relative clauses

* adverbial clauses
o or with coordinate clauses
* and
* but

* for


Definition of a sentence:
– Simple sentence:
● A sentence is a simple sentence
o The Pepsi worker allegedly assaulted the Coca-Cola employee.

– Coordinating sentence:
● A sentence is a sentence linked with a sentence by means of a
coordinating conjunction
o An assembly worker hid screws in a specially designed hiding place and took up to 7,000 home with him every day.

– Subordinating sentence:
● A sentence is a sentence with a subordinate simple sentence
(clause) inserted into it
o e.g. relative clause, adverbial clause
o A car dealership owner killed two employees because they kept asking for more pay.

– Exclusion condition:
● Nothing else is a sentence.

Syntactic categories (parts of speech):
● Nominal categories:
– Nouns
– Pronouns (special glue: co-reference)
– Articles
– Adjectives

● Verbal categories:
– Verbs
– Adverbs

● Glue categories:
– Prepositions (intra-sentence glue)
– Conjunctions (inter-sentence glue)
– Interjections (dialogue glue)

Syntagmatic relations in:

- Syllables

- Words

- Sentences