Skip Navigation

Journal of Semantics 2000 17(3):189-216; doi:10.1093/jos/17.3.189
© 2000 by Oxford University Press
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BLUTNER, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Articles

Some Aspects of Optimality in Natural Language Interpretation

REINHARD BLUTNER

Humboldt University Berlin Prenzlauer Promenade 149-152, D-13189 Berlin, Germany blunter{at}Web.de http://www2.rz.hu-berlin.de/asg/blutner/

In a series of papers, Petra Hendriks, Helen de Hoop, and Henriette de Swart have applied optimality theory (OT) to semantics. These authors argue that there is a fundamental difference between the from of OT as used in syntax on the one hand and its from as used in semantics on the other hand. Whereas in the first case. OT takes the point of view of the speaker, in the second case the point of view of the hearer is taken. The aim of this paper is to argue that the proper treatment of OT in natural language interpretation has to take both perspectives at the same time. A conceptual framework is established that realizes the integration of both perspectives. It will be argued that this framework captures the essence of the Gricean maxims and gives a precise explication of Atlas & Levinson's (1981) idea of balancing between informativeness and efficiently in natural language processing. The ideas are then applied to resolve some puzzles in natural language interpretation.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.