Paper

The Logic of Linearization: Interpretations of Trees via Strings

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Abstract

This paper introduces a novel method of linearization, casting it as a model-theoretic interpretation. Within Model Theory, an inter- pretation is a way of understanding a structure through the lens of another structure– in this sense, linearization is an interpretation of a tree’s string yield through the lens of the tree. Such a formal characterization allows us to explicitly codify locality into the post-syntax (in line with Embick and Noyer (1999)). This has strong potential implications for the nature of syntax-phonology interaction in terms of formal complexity and typological predictions of phrasal phonology. Crucially, casting linearization in this way also opens the door for a closer unification of how we understand the computational properties of interfaces between linguistic modules more generally.

Keywords: linearization, model theory, interpretations, syntax-phonology interface, model-theory

How to Cite:

Czarnecki, V., (2025) “The Logic of Linearization: Interpretations of Trees via Strings”, Society for Computation in Linguistics 8(1): 15. doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/scil.3162