LATEST PROJECTS
Project 1 Corpus Linguistics
Project | 01 Corpus Linguistics
Interface between Corpus linguistics & Theoretical Linguistics
Perhaps, for many modern theoretical linguists, E-languages are 'amorphous' and are too marginal an issue to examine.
But, at the same time, it is only through the investigation of E-languages which we understand the I-language. Without a robust methodological reflection on E-languages, we could not perfectly understand the nature of the language.
One of my research topic is to cross a bridge between the tradition of theoretical linguistics and a data analysis of E-languages.
Once linguistic expressions are quantified and are represented as a vector, we will inevitably discuss their distribution in higher dimensions. If you are also interested in learning the nature of the manifold, or if you are curious about the geometrical understanding of their distribution, let us start a new joint-project!
Akitaka × Corpus Linguistics × Theoretical Linguistics = ...
Selected papers
Yamada, Akitaka (2019) A quantitative approach to addressee-honorific markers: Identification of crucial independent variables and prototypes. Mathematical Linguistics 32. [preprint]
Yamada, Akitaka (2019) Wago kigen no doosi to kyoogoo suru sonkeigo koobun [Verbs of Yamato origin and competing subject-honorific constructions]. In Keiryo Kokugo Gakkai Dai-68-kai Taikai Yokô-shû (Proceedings of The Mathematical Linguistic Society of Japan). The Mathematical Linguistic Society of Japan, NINJAL 2019. [preprint]
Yamada, Akitaka (2018). A Modal Approach to no-clauses in Japanese. In Nihon Gengogakkai Dai-156-kai Taikai Yokô-shû (Proceedings of the 156th Meeting of the Linguistic Society of Japan). Linguistic Society of Japan, the University of Tokyo 2018,145-150. [pdf] [pptx]
Variation in Japanese Subject-honorific Markers (Yamada 2019)
Project 2 Dynamic Pragmatics
Akitaka × Dyanmic Pragmatics × Statistics = ...
Yamada, Akitaka (To appear). The syntax, semantics and pragmatics of Japanese addressee-honorific markers. PhD Thesis. Georgetown University.
Yamada, Akitaka (2019). Expressiveness from a Bayesian Perspective. JELS 36. [pdf]
Yamada, Akitaka (2019). Comparisons and speech acts in Japanese exclamatives. Oral Presentation at the English Linguistic Society of Japan (ELSJ) 12the International Spring Forum 2019. May 11-12, Tokyo, University of the Sacred Heart. [BEST CONFERENCE AWARD]
Project 02
Dynamic Pragmatics
Selected papers
Interface between Dynamic Pragmatics & Statistics
If the discourse is consistent, the information state shrinks in a monotonic way as the conversation goes ... yes, such an idea is quite useful in modeling the informative component (and the inquisitive aspect) of the context. But ... does the same idea apply to other aspects of the context change?
In order to capture the expressive dimension of the discourse, I have been proposing that we should incorporate a statistical structure. Especially, Bayesian approaches seem to provide us fruitful insights both in practice and in our understanding of natural language inferences. One of my on-going project is to extend this view to cross a bridge between well-established formal semantic and pragmatic approaches and mathematical theories.
Lab Notes
Board Game Pragmatics (Yamada to appear)
Project 3 Syntax-phonology Interface
Interface between Morpho-Phonology & Syntax
How does the syntax interact with morpho-phonology? In the mainstream Minimalist Program, it has been assumed that "Syntax is Syntax" and "Phonology is Phonology."
But there are some data that seem to suggest that phonological operations precede some syntactic operations. If so, what would be the best architecture for the syntax, morphology and phonology? Based on some prosodic data in Japanese, I have been proposing a model in which the strict division of labor is loosened between the (narrow) syntax and the phonology.
Project 03
Syntax-phonology Interface
Akitaka × Morpho-Phonology × Syntax = ...
Yamada, Akitaka (2018). Phase-based prosody: evidence from pitch-accent distribution in the Japanese verbal domain. Oral Presentation at North East Linguistics Society 49, Cornell University 2018. [pdf]
(forthcoming [preprint])
Yamada, Akitaka (2019) Contiguity theory and crystallization: wh-phrases and concord adverbs in Japanese. In Phonological Externalization vol 4. (ed.), Tokizaki, H. Sapporo: Sapporo University, pp. 1-22. [pdf].
Yamada, Akitaka (2019). Do/be-support as defective movements. Oral Presentation at the 55th annual meeting of the Chicago Linguistics Society. May 16-18, Chicago, the University of Chicago.
Crystallization (Yamada 2019)
Lab Notes
Phase-based Prosody (Yamada 2018)
