Manfred Bierwisch The Role of Replication in Different Sign Systems

1. Manfred BierwischThe Role of Replication in Different Sign Systems

2. This talk tries to provisionally identify and characterize a range of specific phenomena; it does not attempt to provide a theory of replication

3. 1. Preliminaries about the Nature of Replication

4. 1. Replication (or Repetition) is not restricted to language. It pervades all areas of structured behavior and interpretation (e.g. walking, counting, singing, dancing...)2. With respect to language, Replication seems to be part of the “third factor” in the sense of Chomsky, i.e. the general operations and design features – alongside with symmetry, contrast, proportion and other general conditions.3. But Replication creates also specific properties in different types of sign systems, like music, poetry, or painting.

5. A very peculiar case of replication shows up in a painting of René Magritte, where the whole is repeated as part:

7. A completely different, but still two-dimensional, pictorial type of replicationshows up in a drawing of M.C. Escher:

9. Replication is, of course, also a fairly characteristic (though special) phenomenon in natural language. It shows up in different types, as the following cases illustrate (replication underlined) :

10. Measure for MeasureCredo in unum deum,patrem omnipotentemhaihaitSingetleiseleiseleiseSingt ein flüsternd Wiegenlied

11. 2. Three Conditions of Replication

12. Replication involves at least three conditions:1. Structural identifiability of the replicated element(s)2. Structural distinction of the repeated elements, at least with respect to their position.3. A common frame for the elements involved, on which a replication-bound property depends.These are weak, necessary, and certainly not sufficient conditions, which need, moreover, further specification.

13. First illustration:Schritt für SchrittMaß für MaßMann für MannWort für WortPunkt für Punkt Zug um ZugAuge um Augevon Land zu Landvon Haus zu Hausvon Fall zu Fall

14. Wort für Wort1. Repeated element: Wort (Bare Noun)2. Distinction: Position wrt. the common frame3. Common frame: [ P N [ P für ] N ] Specific Property: denotes the scanning of items of the type specified by N.(A more complete specification of the frame might be given in terms of Construction Grammar.)

15. Second illustration:Credo in unum deum, partrem omnipotentem

16. Credo in unum dominum, patrem omnipotentem1. Repeated element: um / em (accusativ singular nominal inflection)2. Distinction: Concord position wrt. NP-structure3. Common frame: NP-structure with two types of adjuncts – modifier and apposition Specific Property: determines modification (Specified by Syntactic combination and Distributed Morphology)

17. Third illustrationSinget leise, leise, leise (Brentano)Walle, walle manche Strecke (Goethe)Wir weben hinein den dreifachen FluchWir weben, wir weben (Heine)

18. Singet leise, leise, leise Singt ein flüsternd Wiegenlied1. Repeatedelement: leise2. Distinction: Sequential Position 3. Common frame: Modifier position Specific property: Iconic intensification (Here the replication is not part of the rules of language, but is due to conditions of poetry)

19. The character of Replication differs not only between pictures, music, and language,there are also essential differences within language.It is therefore useful to specify the conditions on which different types of signs depend.

20. 3. Three Types of Signs

21. A sign relates a physical signal because of specified structural properties to its meaning.The meaning is a mental entity, which the signal refers to or expresses.With respect to the relation between signal and meaning, three types of signs are distinguished in Semiotics:

22. Interpretant Signal MeaningSituational connection: Indexical signs Similarity: Iconic signs Convention: Symbolic signs

23. ExamplesIconicsigns, based on structural analogy :maps, diagrams, musical representation of bird-song,pictures, sculpures, ...Symbols, based on arbitrary choice and agreement :traffic signs, digits, notes, conventional gestures like nodding, words, … (Indexical signs can be left aside here, they involve a. o. spots of measles, smoke indicating fire, … )

24. With respect to replication, one has to distinguish between repetition of sign, signal, and meaning.To this effect, one has to look at the particular combinatorial principles in different sign systems.

25. 4. LanguageCombination of Symbols

26. Language is a system of signs providing the correspondence between two completely different mental domains:- (primarily phonetic) articulation and perception with sequential organization [sound structure]- nonlinear conceptual patterns organizing all aspects of experience and behavior[conceptual structure]

27. The signal of Linguistic utterances exhibits many properties that are not determined by language: - Speaker‘s identity, gender, age, mood, ...The meaning of Linguistic utterances contains lots of (contextually determined) specifications that do not depend on lingustic structure:„he is difficult to understand“„Mary left the institute quite a wile ago“Hence Signal and Meaning of linguistic signs are rather abstract, mental structures

28. Signal <==> A/P  PF  LF  C/I <==> Situ-  ation I-Language  mental SystemsA/P: Articulation and Perception C/I: Conceptual-Intentional Structure of experiencePF: Phonetic Form (Soundstructure) LF: Logical Form (Struktur of Meaning)

29. PF-Principle: sequential ordering of elementsLF-Principle: non-linear, hierarchical dependency of configurations

30. The overall PFLF-correspondence, that creates the correspondence between these structures, is determined by two interacting factors:A the vast system of basic symbols, the lexical items, conventionally fixed PF-LF-configurationsB the rules and principles, by which complex combinations of symbols are made up

31. The PF-LF-correspondence in A is basically arbitrary – including cases of replication in PF: rococo, Mississipi, cacao, liliputThis arbitrariness is relativized in B by Projectivity, according to which thelinear part-whole-relation in PF is preserved as hierarchical inclusion in LF.

32. Based on arbitrary symbols, a coherent complex of meaning corresponds arbitrarily to an equally coherent sequence of sound structure:The part-whole-relation of PF is motivated by and carries over to LF.This is the automatic consequence of External Merge

33. V V D A N A D A N V P V A | | | | | | | the new wine is un drink able

34. At least two combinatorial operations are not in line with this projective PF-LF-combination:1. Movement or Internal Merge2. Concord, Agreement, and related phenomena of overt repetition Whatever formal treatment one assumes – both operations suspend the strict projectivity of the PF-LF-correspondence.

35. Restricted projectivity by MoveProjective PF-LF-correspondence is suspended by „internal Merge“, which reassigns constituents, thereby violating projecivity:what did they [ talk about ___ ]| es fängt [gleich an____ ] |

36. If MOVE is considered as copying and subsequent deletion, it becomes a kind of semi-replication, namely replication of PF without preserving the original.CONCORD combines replication with morpholocical rules of PF-realization(indicated by ):

37. N N N A A N Acc A Acc A Acc |  |  |  pan - em nostr - um cottidian - um | | |

38. These are cases, where surface-replication emerges from complex interaction of different structural conditions and operations, the analysis of which is a matter of debate.Yet another PF-replication corresponding to specific LF-conditions is REDUPLICATION in certain systems of infletional morphology:

39. Gothic:fâh  fai - fâh (catch)hait  hai - hait (be called) Greek:-   - - (write)-   - - (educate)The initial segment is duplicated and a neutral vowel inserted.

40. Yet another type of replication shows up in idiomatic constructions like measure for measureOn the one hand, [ N for N ]repeats the instances of N as complete lexical items with PF, LF and grammatical features.On the other hand, it is subject to specific conditions of the construction as a complex lexical entry of its own.

41. Linguistic expressions are paired LF-PF-structures based on essentially arbitrary PF-LF-correpondence.Hence repetition of sequences in PF may, but need not correspond to the repetition of configurations in LF.Replication in PF can in particular indicate connection between non-repeated components of LF.This differs remarkably from other sign systems.

42. An important case in point is music, which is, like language, based on acoustic signals with sequential structure, but with rather different types of repetition

43. 5. MusicIconic combination of sounds

44. Two points ahead:1. The structure of signs in music depends on conventions, it is determined by tradition.(Who is not familiar with a musical culture, may often fail to grasp its manifestations)2. But music does not have conventional, symbolic meaning. There are two positions:a) Music has no meaning, but only structured signals (the position of Hanslick and others) b) Meaning of music is not symbolic, but iconic. (The position adopted here)

45. Surpsingly, the two positions don‘t have different consequences wrt. Replication:For principled reasons, if there is meaning in music, it must be iconic: its structure cannot essentially differ from that of the musical signal. In fact, the structure of music directly exhibits its meaning.Thus, whether meaning in music is recognized or denied: There can be no structural discrepancy.

46. However, like in language, the signals of music must be distinguished from their (reproducable) structure. As in language, musical utterances have many properties that are not determined by their musical structure.The same tune or melody can be realized in very diffent ways. (That is actually the domain of the art of interpretation)

47. Signal<==> A/P  MF  GF  E/I <==>State of  affairs Musial Structure  Mental SystemsA/P: Articulation und Perception E/I : Emotional-intentional Structures MF: Musical Form GF: Gestural Form (musical meaning)

48. The Musical Form MF is – like the Phonetic and Grammatical Form of language – determined by Rules and Principles. (Tonal systems, functional harmonic, periodical architecture... )The Gestural Form GF is iconically associated with MF, that is with all its combinations (motivs, themes, tunes, phrases, movements)

49. Two Essentials of MusicA. Music has, contrary to language, no basic signs with arbitrary meaning:There is no musical lexicon.(New words must be lerned, new themes are understood.)B. Music is, like language, combinatorial.But combination is strictly temporal – the combination of the signal corresponds completely the combination of its meaning.