LINGUIST List 7.469

Wed Mar 27 1996

Qs: Grammatical words, Syllabification, Speech therapy

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. Su-Hsun Tsai, Q: Database for Grammatical words?
2. PHHAFacadvm1.uottawa.ca, French/English syllabification
3. Helge Dyvik, Linguistics for speech therapists

Dear Netters,

 Sorry for cross-posting to those Info-Childes members.

 I am working a paper counting lexical density for written text,
and I have problems to extract out the lexical words.

 Lexical density is inspired by Halliday's Spoken and Written
Language (p. 63, 1989). He suggests using entries listed in Roget's
Thesaurus (1982, 1984) as the criteria to count words as lexical ones.

 However, as lexical words are terrible huge, it won't be
possible, nor practical, to build them into a corpus, and run the
corpus in the IBM-PC to compare with the data file so that all the
lexical words can be thrown out (using a language analysis program
called CLAN, with command "FREQ +d1 +slexicalfile datafile.")

 I am wondering if there is a database collecting all words other
than those listed in the Roget's Thesaurus (hence they are only
grammatical words). If this is the case, this database will be
extremely smaller than the original Roget's. Then, it will be much
easier to attach it to the command line so that all lexical words from
the data file can be extracted (using "FREQ +d1 -sgrammaticalfile
datafile.")

 Any responses will be gratefully received.

Su-hsun, research student
IOE, U. of London
teemshtioe.ac.uk

I am posting this message for a colleague in the psychology department
and who is not affiliated to linguist. Please send your replies direct
to him (Prof. Alain Desrochers) at the following address: DAMCH at
acadvm1.uottawa.ca

Thanks
Paul Hirschbuhler
========================================================================
Dear Colleagues,

I am undertaking a research project on the cognitive processes that
underly syllabification. One of my goals is to compare French and
English syllabification. I am approaching this topic from a
psycholinguistic perspective and I am finding the theoretical
foundations of the concept of syllable somewhat fragmented.

Can anyone in the Linguistics community offer me some guidance. I am
looking for:

1. A clear definition of the syllable, preferably theory-driven.
2. A relatively comprehensive theory or model of syllabification.
3. A computational theory for automated syllabification by computer.

I have no way of knowing for sure if what I am looking for indeed
exists. If it does I would be most grateful for any references,
reprints or simply clues you may want to send me. Thank you in
advance.

Sincerely,
ALAIN DESROCHERS
Cognitive Psychology Laboratory Laboratoire de psychologie cognitive
School of Psychology Ecole de psychologie
University of Ottawa Universite d'Ottawa
125 University Dr., Rm 407A 125 Prom. Universite, Salle 407A
Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1N 6N5 Canada K1N 6N5

Tel: Off: (613) 562-5800 Ext. 4291
 Lab: (613) 562-5800 Ext. 4289
 Fax: (613) 562-5147
 E-mail: DAMCHACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA

A colleague has asked me to post the following request:

Can anyone suggest suitable reading material, approximately 500 pages,
about "clinical linguistics", i.e., linguistics as a basis for speech
therapists/correctionists? No previous knowledge of linguistics should
be presupposed. The language should be English (or a Scandinavian
language, but we more or less know that such material does not exist
in those languages).

Helge Dyvik

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Helge Dyvik
Department of Linguistics and Comparative Literature
Section for Linguistic Studies
University of Bergen 	 Phone: 	 +47 55 212261
Sydnesplass 7 	 Fax: 	 +47 55 589354
N-5007 Bergen, Norway E-mail: helge.dyvikfoli.uib.no
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