Aug 2026· Language and Speech· pp.
238309261473989
· 0 citations· 61 references
Medicine
Abstract
In this paper, I propose a formal model of the representation and processing of an integrated multilingual phonological grammar. Two options are considered: (a) a merged union of features from all languages, and (b) an integrated repository which includes representational language tags on hierarchical phonological structures. I argue that the tagged model is preferred given that the merged-union proposal runs into problems with (a) ranking paradoxes, and (b) requiring extra theoretical machinery to block subsets of hierarchies. The tagged model introduces no new theoretical machinery, and has the added value that it is consistent with psycholinguistic approaches which rely on either suppression or activation. I develop a model which (a) incorporates the syntax/phonology interface and (b) articulates details of the various stages of Phonetic Form (PF) spellout. Such an approach recognizes the important role phonology plays in current models of the grammatical architecture, particularly as applied to multilingual knowledge and performance.
The nature of the mental lexicon remains one of the central controversies in cognitive science, bearing on
fundamental questions concerning the representation and processing of linguistic knowledge. In this article, we examine Gary
Libben’s contributions to the study of lexical representation and processing, with particular focus on the theoretical and
empirical studies leading to the “flexicon” framework. We address four interrelated questions that have guided both Libben’s
research program and broader debates in psycholinguistics: (a) What are the basic units of lexical representation? (b) Do
morphologically complex words undergo decomposition during recognition? (c) To what extent are perceptual analyses constrained by
morphological principles? And (d) does semantic information penetrate the earliest stages of lexical processing? Drawing on
Libben’s theoretical writings and a selection of empirical studies spanning four decades of research, we situate his proposals
within competing accounts of the mental lexicon, including symbolic, connectionist, Bayesian, and hybrid approaches. We argue that
the flexicon framework represents an attempt to reconcile aspects of these traditions by combining morphemes and full-word forms,
dynamic lexical representations, and usage-based influences within a system aimed at maximizing opportunities for lexical use. We
review evidence from studies involving aphasia, deep dyslexia, compound processing, and morphological ambiguity in trimorphemic
words, assessing the extent to which the findings support the framework’s central claims. While the flexicon provides an
innovative perspective on lexical flexibility and morphological productivity, we argue that several questions remain regarding the
role of constituent structure, morphological computation, and semantic information in lexical processing. We conclude by
suggesting that the flexicon is best viewed as a research program that raises important questions about the relationship between
lexical representations, linguistic structure, and language use.
Roberto G. de Almeida, Lori Buchanan· The Mental Lexicon· 0 citations
This collection of chapters brings together studies of various issues in phonological linearization and explores the viability of accounts of linear order at different levels of representation. The questions that constitute the backbone of this volume concern issues around sequencing; specifically, the nature and (in)dispensability of rules or constraints deriving precedence relations, the role of phonology in the linearization of segments and subsegmental properties/features in syllables, the surface order of morphemes in a word and of words in a sentence, the size and shape of constituents subject to dislocation, and the extent to which (re)arrangement can result in structural optimization. Focusing on different levels of representation, from subsegmental to syntactic or phrasal, each contribution addresses a subset of these issues through diverse theoretical lenses and types of evidence, demonstrating that linearization phenomena are a centre piece for our understanding of linguistic representations, the interaction of grammatical modules, and the architecture of the language faculty.
The nature of the Chinese mental lexicon is described in this theoretical paper, with a particular focus on the way in which Mandarin is represented and processed, especially with regard to tonal information. Because an alphabetic script (i.e., pinyin) is adopted in China at the earliest stages of reading acquisition, an account is given of the way in which alphabetic orthography is processed, using English as the example. Following from this, a framework for thinking about the processes involved in learning to read Chinese is presented and the impact of pinyin is considered. In particular, it is argued that knowledge of pinyin has an influence on the phonological component of the lexical processing system, especially in terms of separating the tone from the rest of the syllable. Past studies of Mandarin and Cantonese are used to provide evidence for the argument that pinyin modulates the phonological representation, with the added claim that the phonological system exists in order to generate a pronunciation. Spoken words are recognized through a separate system that is sensitive to the surface form, and it is here that there is a critical difference between native and non-native Mandarin speakers, especially those with a non-tonal first language. The inability to identify lexical tone in the speech signal, along with the representation of tone in pinyin as a diacritic separate from the letters, means that the non-native speaker has difficulty remembering what the correct tone is for any word they are trying to learn. The depiction of the lexical processing system that is presented in this paper is meant to provide a concrete framework for helping to understand the way in which both native and non-native speakers process Chinese words, especially when reading.
Abstract Locality of dislocation has been one of the central issues in linguistics since Ross’s (1967. Constraints on variables in syntax. Cambridge, MA: MIT dissertation) seminal paper. One of the locality conditions that Ross describes is the Left Branch Condition, which prohibits the left-branching element in a nominal domain from being extracted. However, Bošković (2005. Left branch extraction, structure of NP, and scrambling. In Joachim Sabel & Mamoru Saito (eds.), The free word order phenomenon: Its syntactic sources and diversity, 13–73. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter) documents languages that allow Left Branch Extraction (LBE) and lays out three prerequisites for it: the absence of a definite article, the availability of scrambling, and the presence of agreement. If agreement is strictly required, languages lacking φ-agreement should disallow LBE; if agreement is merely the default option, alternative strategies may be available. This paper examines Japanese, which satisfies the first two conditions but not the third, and which nonetheless permits LBE with considerable speaker variation. We argue that Japanese LBE is licensed at the syntax-phonology interface: the operator-variable chain created by LBE must be reflected in prosody, either by being contained within a single intonational phrase or by the extracted element forming an independent intonational phrase marked by comma intonation. Prosodic licensing thus serves as a last-resort alternative to φ-agreement, suggesting that cross-linguistic variation in the availability of LBE is in part a matter of externalization.
Masako Maeda, Hiromune Oda, Yoichi Miyamoto· The Linguistic Review· 0 citations
Compound structures serve as an indispensable syntactic and grammatical component within the Tamil grammatical tradition. Tolkappiyar classifies these compound structures into six distinct categories. Among these, two divergent perspectives currently exist regarding the structure and definition of case compounds. One school of thought argues that a case compound is formed merely by the elision of case markers between two constituent words. Conversely, another school contends that beyond the mere elision of case markers, these constituent words must fuse indivisibly to function with the "nature of a single word." This article comprehensively analyzes these contrasting viewpoints by comparing the commentaries of traditional grammarians, the interpretations of grammatical scholars, and the theories of modern linguists. By prioritizing semantics—the fundamental core of language—this study establishes that it is grammatically appropriate to define a case compound as a compound syntactic structure that not only conveys case meanings but also functions organically as a unified, single lexical unit without any phonetic hiatus.
த. ப. சூரியா· Tamilmanam International Res...· 0 citations
It is suggested that the state is a systemic, context-dependent morphosyntactic mechanism that selects grammatical templates across synthetic languages and constitutes one instance of a broader class of syntactically conditioned dependencies that also includes agreement and grammatical case.
M. E. Idrissi· 0 citations
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