A Framework for Processing Partially Free Word Order

A Framework for Processing Partially Free Word Order* Hans Uszkoreit Artificial Intelligence Center SRI International 333 Ravenswood Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 Abstract The partially free word order in German belongs to the class of phenomena in natttral language that require a close in- teraction between syntax and pragmatics. Several competing principles, which are based on syntactic and on discourse in- formation, determine the [ineac order of noun phrases. A solu- tion to problems of this sort is a prerequisite for high-quality language generation. The linguistic framework of Generalized Phrase Structure Grammar offers tools for dealing with-word order variation. Some slight modifications to the framework al- low for an analysis of the German data that incorporates just the right, degree of interaction between syntactic and pragmatic components and that can account for conflicting ordering state- ments. I. Introduction The relatively free order of major phrasal constituents in German belongs to the class of natural-language phenomena that require a closer interaction of syntax and pragmatics than is usually accounted for in formal linguistic frameworks. Computational linguists who pay attention to both syntax and pragmatics will find that analyses of such phenomena can provide valuable data for the design of systems that integrate these lin- guist ic components. German represents a good test case because the role of pragmatics in governing word order is much greater than in English while the role syntax plays is greater than in some of the so-called free-word-order languages like Warlpiri. The German data are well attested and thoroughly discussed in the descriptive literature The fact that English and German are closely related makes it easier to assess these data and to draw parallels. The .~imple analysis presented here for dealing with free word order in German syntax is based on the linguistic framework of Generalized Phrase Structure Grammar (GPSG}, especially on its Immediate Dominance/Linear Precedence for- malism {ID/LP), and complements an earlier treatment of German word order) The framework is slightly modified to ac- commodate the relevant class of word order regularities. The syntactic framework presented in this paper is not hound to any particular theory of discourse processing; it enables syntax to interact with whatever formal model of pragmatics one might want to implement. A brief discussion of the framework's implication~ for computational implementation centers Upon the problem of the status of metagrammatical devices. 2. The Problem German word order is essentially fixed: however, there is some freedom in the ordering of major phrasal categories like NPs and adverbial phrases - for example, in the linear order of subject (SUB J), direct object (DOBJ), and indirect object (lOB J) with respect to one another. All six permutations of these three constituents are possible for sentences like (In). Two are given as {Ib) and (It). (la) Dann hatte der Doktor dem Mann die Pille gegeben. Then had the doctor the man the pill given (lb) Dann hatte dec Doktor die Pille dem Mann gegeben. Then had the doctor the pill the man given (It) Dann hatte …

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