Kinematic Grammar and Origin of Language

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02756
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: English linguistics
• Research Institution: Saitama University
• Principal Investigator: Nishina Hiroyuki 埼玉大学, 人文社会科学研究科, 名誉教授 (20125777)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 動作文法 / 行為動詞 / 骨格構造 / 関節回転 / 運動使役 / 埋め込み構造 / ラムダ演算 / 使役分析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I attempted to construct a kinematic semantics of action on the sequence of syntactic trees based on a simplified human skeleton. Embedding of motions, pointed in Calvin & Bickerton (2000), has been well realized as the object embedded clauses of the VP nodes expressed in the partial recessive set of joints, which was proposed here. Embedding of motions is caused by a proximal rotating joint’s causing its distal rotating joints to move accordingly. The syntax of the skeleton is described in terms of the causation of motion based on the rotations of joints. The VP’s include move (= CAUSE to GO) and keep (= CAUSE to HAULT) as its object-clause-taking verbs. Applying lambda calculous to one tree of a tree sequence for an action, the semantics of at that interval is represented in terms of each joint’s rotation’s/nonrotation’s causing other joints to be moved/kept respectively. Integrating these tree representations in order, the meaning of that action is achieved.

Free Research Field

英語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

各動作動詞の外延的意味表示の普遍理論を構築するためには、各動作を構成的に記述する必要がある。関節が可能にする各動作の構成単位を普遍的に記述する際に、本文法は骨格モデル上の関節単位に動作を精密な木表示によって記述できるので、どのような動作も基本的動作単位の組み合わせによって記述できる。これによって動作の一般理論の構築が可能になるように思われる。更に、生物言語学における言語起源論の論争に対して、動作起源説を支持する論拠を与えるように思われる。