Hard to See, the Dark Side Is

Syntactic Anomalies Applied to a Selection of Parsing Models illustrated by the Speech of Master Yoda

Term Paper , 2007 , 20 Pages , Grade: 1,7

English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics

“Clear your mind must be, if you are to discover the real villains behind this plot.”

If Star Wars is an important step in the history of film, Master Yoda’s way of speaking is one in the establishment of linguistic awareness beyond linguistic circles. His way of speaking has become a cult over the years and his quotations are widely known, not only among Star Wars fans. Even somebody who has not seen any of the six episodes (so did the author of this paper) is very likely to know to whom sentences like the above-mentioned quotation refer. This is due to the fact that Master Yoda, to whom the sentence can be attributed, has a very unique way of speaking; the syntactic structure underlying his utterances is of a high recognition value.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Non-interactive Models
  • Garden-Path Model
    • Application to example-sentence
• Interactive Models
  • Referential Theory
    • Application to example-sentence
  • Unrestricted-Race Theory
    • Application to example-sentence
• The Role of the Verb
  • Understanding Verbs via projections
  • Understanding Verbs without projections
  • Application to example-sentence
• Cognitive Grammar
  • Langacker's Cognitive Grammar
    • Application to example-sentence

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to explore the process of understanding sentences, particularly those containing syntactic anomalies, through the lens of various parsing models. By applying these models to analyze the unique speech patterns of Master Yoda from Star Wars, the paper aims to demonstrate the influence of context in processing syntactic anomalies.

• The role of syntactic information in language processing
• The impact of syntactic anomalies on sentence understanding
• The importance of context in resolving syntactic ambiguities
• The limitations of non-interactive models in handling syntactic anomalies
• The contribution of interactive models and cognitive grammar to understanding language processing

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

This preview focuses on the main themes and arguments presented in the chapters, excluding the conclusion and any sections that reveal major revelations or spoilers.

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of syntactic anomalies, particularly as exemplified by Master Yoda's speech in Star Wars. It highlights the unique challenges and potential insights these anomalies offer in understanding language processing.
• Non-interactive Models: This chapter explores the Garden-Path Model, a non-interactive model that relies solely on syntactic information for sentence parsing. It analyzes how the model handles syntactic anomalies, revealing its limitations in resolving ambiguous structures.
• Interactive Models: This chapter delves into two interactive models – the Referential Theory and the Unrestricted-Race Theory. These models incorporate multiple sources of information, including semantic and contextual cues, to process language. The chapter showcases their effectiveness in resolving syntactic anomalies.
• The Role of the Verb: This chapter investigates the critical role of verbs in sentence understanding. It explores how verbs contribute to semantic and thematic role assignment, particularly in the presence of syntactic anomalies.
• Cognitive Grammar: This chapter explores Langacker's Cognitive Grammar, a model that emphasizes the role of mental representations and conceptual structures in language processing. It examines how this model can effectively account for the understanding of syntactic anomalies within a broader cognitive framework.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This paper delves into the intricacies of language processing, focusing on the challenges presented by syntactic anomalies. The core concepts explored include syntactic information, context, ambiguity resolution, parsing models, and cognitive grammar. The application of these concepts to the unique linguistic patterns of Master Yoda in Star Wars provides valuable insights into the complexities of human language comprehension.

• College: University of Leipzig (Insitut für Anglistik)
• Course: Psycholinguistics
• Grade: 1,7
• Author: M.A. Claudia Jahn (Author)
• Publication Year: 2007
• Pages: 20
• Catalog Number: V141653
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640519019
• ISBN (Book): 9783640520534
• Language: English
• Tags: Hard, Dark, Side, Syntactic, Anomalies, Applied, Selection, Parsing, Models, Speech, Master, Yoda