---
abstract: "We present a connectionist model for the interpretation of discourse\r\nparticles in real dialogues that is based on neuronal\r\nprinciples of categorization (categorical perception, prototype\r\nformation, contextual interpretation). It can be shown that\r\ndiscourse particles operate just like other morphological and\r\nlexical items with respect to interpretation processes. The description\r\nproposed locates discourse particles in an elaborate\r\nmodel of communication which incorporates many different\r\naspects of the communicative situation. We therefore also\r\nattempt to explore the content of the category discourse particle.\r\nWe present a detailed analysis of the meaning assignment\r\nproblem and show that 80%– 90% correctness for unseen discourse\r\nparticles can be reached with the feature analysis provided.\r\nFurthermore, we show that ‘analogical transfer’ from\r\none discourse particle to another is facilitated if prototypes\r\nare computed and used as the basis for generalization. We\r\nconclude that the interpretation processes which are a part of\r\nthe human cognitive system are very similar with respect to\r\ndifferent linguistic items. However, the analysis of discourse\r\nparticles shows clearly that any explanatory theory of language\r\nneeds to incorporate a theory of communication processes."
altloc: []
chapter: ~
commentary: ~
commref: ~
confdates: ' August 7-10, 1997'
conference: 19th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
confloc: Stanford University
contact_email: ~
creators_id:
  - gscheler@gmail.com
  - ~
creators_name:
  - family: Scheler
    given: Gabriele
    honourific: ''
    lineage: ''
  - family: Fischer
    given: Kerstin
    honourific: ''
    lineage: ''
date: 1997
date_type: published
datestamp: 2011-12-16 00:11:43
department: ~
dir: disk0/00/00/77/09
edit_lock_since: ~
edit_lock_until: 0
edit_lock_user: ~
editors_id: []
editors_name: []
eprint_status: archive
eprintid: 7709
fileinfo: application/pdf;http://cogprints.org/7709/1/cogsci%2Dfinal.pdf|application/pdf;http://cogprints.org/7709/7/cogsci%2Dfinal.pdf
full_text_status: public
importid: ~
institution: ~
isbn: ~
ispublished: pub
issn: ~
item_issues_comment: []
item_issues_count: ~
item_issues_description: []
item_issues_id: []
item_issues_reported_by: []
item_issues_resolved_by: []
item_issues_status: []
item_issues_timestamp: []
item_issues_type: []
keywords: ~
lastmod: 2011-12-16 00:11:43
latitude: ~
longitude: ~
metadata_visibility: show
note: ~
number: ~
pagerange: ~
pubdom: TRUE
publication: ~
publisher: ~
refereed: TRUE
referencetext: ~
relation_type: []
relation_uri: []
reportno: ~
rev_number: 13
series: ~
source: ~
status_changed: 2011-12-16 00:11:43
subjects:
  - comp-sci-lang
  - comp-sci-neural-nets
  - comp-sci-stat-model
  - ling-comput
  - ling-prag
succeeds: ~
suggestions: ~
sword_depositor: ~
sword_slug: ~
thesistype: ~
title: 'The Many Functions of Discourse Particles: A Computational Model of Pragmatic Interpretation'
type: confpaper
userid: 1760
volume: ~
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