LINGUIST List 7.669

Tue May 7 1996

Qs: Syntax, Grammar, Control, Sanskrit

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <dseelyemunix.emich.edu>

Directory

1. Vincent DeCaen, theory-neutral syntax?
2. james patrick hesse, grammar
3. Kristian Emil Kristoffersen, Query: Control bibliography
4. Joseph Kozono, Sanskrit in Chinese?

I'm seeking input for a discussion paper (and so of course will fully
acknowledge that input), looking at the problem of "theory-neutral"
syntactic "tagging" (SGML) of the Hebrew Bible. I think it should be
framed in terms of a "minimal" tagging: what absolutely must be in the
representation to be useful as a database for syntactic analysis?
Also, I think it must somehow account for both the "formalist" and
"functionalist" approaches: perhaps a minimal X-bar parsing and
simultaneous marking for minimal functions (subject, object, etc).
I'm thinking that a suitably pared down combination of Gov-Binding
structures and Functional Grammar tags might do the job. (N.B., the
database will already have the "words" parsed for features.....).

in any case, the problems are challenging, and I invite discussion.
I'll be more than grateful for recent bibliography in this area as
well, especially relating to similar tagging and similar databases.

Vincent DeCaen <decaenchass.utoronto.ca>
Hebrew Syntax Encoding Initiative
	http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~decaen/hsei/intro.html
c/o Dept of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
University of Toronto

	Many schools and teachers teach English as a Second Language
(ESL) students formal grammar before engaging in reading and writing
activities. What role can grammar play in the instruction of language
minority students who are learning the English language? Should the
emphasis on English language development be on listening, speaking,
reading, and creative writing before introducing grammar?

We are preparing a bibliography on control, in the sense of referential
control of unexpressed subjects. We would like to ask those who are working
or have been working on this subject to send us relevant bibliographical
information about their work.

The bibliography will be published in paper version and in electronic
version. The electronic version will be made accessible via www at
University of Oslo Library.

Jan Engh
University of Oslo library
E-mail: jan.enghub.uio.no

Kristian E. Kristoffersen
Department of Scandinavian studies and comparative literature
University of Oslo
E-mail: kristian.kristofferseninl.uio.no

I am forwarding a message on behalf of a friend of mine which I think
it will be the purview of this distinguished forum:

From: a039320tbcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us ( Emilio Arroyo)
Date: Tuesday, May 7, 1996 7:04 am
Subject: Query on translations

I am wondering if anyone knows if classical Hindu texts such as the
Rig Vedas, the Upanishas, and the Baghavadgita have been rendered
into Ancient or even Modern Chinese? Are there also native Chinese
commenaries on these texts? Finally, if there are translations or
commentaries, what are they called in Chinese and where can one get
hold of them?

Thank you for the help.

Emilio Arroyo a039320tbcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us