Estimates differ, but in general it is assumed that about half of our spoken and written language consists of stock phrases, formulaic sequences, and common, semantically transparent combinations... Show moreEstimates differ, but in general it is assumed that about half of our spoken and written language consists of stock phrases, formulaic sequences, and common, semantically transparent combinations of words, also known as lexical bundles. There is a growing body of experimental work showing that lexical bundles are read, understood, and pronounced faster than their infrequent matched controls, which seems to suggest that these bundles function as units in processing, much like single words.This thesis focuses on the processing of Dutch lexical bundles, and does so by considering them from different angles: How do we read lexical bundles? Are there differences in processing between age groups? How do we process spoken lexical bundles? And how do we produce them? In answering these questions, a wide range of experimental methods, and both statistical and computational modeling are employed. Show less
The most prominent prosodic feature of tonal languages such as Standard Chinese is their use of pitch to distinguish lexical meanings (i.e., tone). However, speech ambiguity arises in Standard... Show moreThe most prominent prosodic feature of tonal languages such as Standard Chinese is their use of pitch to distinguish lexical meanings (i.e., tone). However, speech ambiguity arises in Standard Chinese because the same pitch contour can also cue another linguistic function (i.e., intonation) in the same linguistic system. As most Standard Chinese speakers also speak a local Chinese dialect, speech ambiguity can further arise when the same or similar pitch contours cue the same linguistic function (e.g., tone), but different categories of that function in two linguistic systems of a bi-dialectal speaker. This dissertation investigates how pitch is processed within a linguistic system (i.e., Standard Chinese) and across two linguistic systems (i.e., Standard Chinese and Xi’an Mandarin) when the same pitch contour cues different linguistic functions (i.e., tone and intonation) or different categories of the same linguistic function (i.e., tone). Show less
To interpret (1) a process of semantic recovery is required when we process the "elliptical" right conjunct. (1) John likes bananas, and Sally pears. In (1) the message of the right conjunct... Show moreTo interpret (1) a process of semantic recovery is required when we process the "elliptical" right conjunct. (1) John likes bananas, and Sally pears. In (1) the message of the right conjunct is that Sally *likes* pears; she did not - for example - steal them. Somehow we can retrieve a missing element and integrate it with the remaining elements. This dissertation investigates the processing of ellipsis, in particular the ellipsis type Gapping and its sub-type Stripping. After a thorough review of the theoretical and experimental background on Gapping (and Stripping), five electrophysiological studies are reported -- including one replication study. Using the method of event-related (brain) potentials, questions are tackled regarding the nature of syntactic, semantic and prosodic processes and how they interplay. Two mechanisms described in the experimental literature -- "Copy alpha" and "cue-based retrieval" -- are drawn upon to connect theory to processing. It is true that a mapping between existing theoretical insights and actual processing may be problematic, however, commensurate with theoretical insights, all experimental findings underscore the multidimensional nature of Gapping and Stripping. It is further argued that ellipsis resolution is sustained by a two-stage mechanism that is based on retrieval and integration processes. Show less
