Using Computers In Linguistics: A Practical Guide

Using Computers in Linguistics: A Practical Guide Computing has had a dramatic impact on the discipline of linguistics and is shaping the way we conceptualize both linguistics and language. Using Computers in Linguistics provides a practical introduction to recent developments in linguistic computing and offers specific guidance to the linguist or language professional who wishes to take advantage of them. The book is divided into eight chapters, each of which is written by an expert in the field. The contributions focus on different aspects of the interaction of computing and linguistics: the Internet, software for fieldwork and teaching linguistics, Unix utilities, the availability of electronic texts, new methodologies in natural language processing, and the development of the CELLAR computing environment for linguistic analysis. Features include: a a glossary of technical terms, including acronyms a chapter appendices which list and review relevant resources, such as books, software, URLs a more extensive and regularly updated appendices of resources on the World Wide Web: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/ling/jlawler/routledge Using Computers in Linguistics will be indispensable for anyone interested in linguistics. John M.Lawler is associate professor of linguistics at the University of Michigan and director of its undergraduate program in linguistics. Helen Aristar Dry is professor of linguistics at Eastern Michigan University, and is co-founder and moderator of The LINGUIST List, a 9000-member electronic discussion forum for academic linguists. Using Computers in Linguistics A Practical Guide Edited by John M.Lawler and Helen Aristar Dry London and New York First published 1998 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003. Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 ©1998 John M.Lawler and Helen Aristar Dry All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Using Computers in Linguistics: a practical guide/edited by John M.Lawler and Helen Aristar Dry. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index. 1. Computational linguistics. I Lawler, John M., 1942– . II. Dry, Helen Aristar, 1946– . P98.U767 1998 410´.285–dc21 97–23787 CIP ISBN 0-203-05901-8 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-21742-X (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-16793-0 (pbk) ISBN 0-415-16792-2 (hbk) This book is dedicated to the editors’ parents: Ida Maye Smith Dry Harold Franklin Dry Agnita Margaret Engler Lawler and to the memory of Edward Michael Lawler (1914–54), who would have liked both computing and linguistics Contents List of figures List of contributors x xiii Introduction John M.Lawler and Helen Aristar Dry 0.1 Computing and linguistics 0.2 Needs 0.3 Purpose and provenance of the book 0.4 Overview of the chapters 0.5 Conclusion 1 2 The nature of linguistic data and the requirements of a computing environment for linguistic research Gary F.Simons 1.1 The multilingual nature of linguistic data 1.2 The sequential nature of linguistic data 1.3 The hierarchical nature of linguistic data 1.4 The multidimensional nature of linguistic data 1.5 The highly integrated nature of linguistic data 1.6 The separation of information from format 1.7 Toward a computing environment for linguisti