Steven Pinker presents his theory of semantic bootstrapping, which hypothesizes that children use the meaning of words to start to learn the syntax of their language. Gleitman (1990) counters Pinker's ideas by asserting that context is insufficient to supply word meaning, as a single context can allow for multiple interpretations of an uttered sentence. She explains that simply observing objects and events in the world does not provide sufficient information to infer the meanings of words and sentences.
Steven Pinker presents his theory of semantic bootstrapping, which hypothesizes that children use the meaning of words to start to learn the syntax of their language.
nsubj
Number=Sing
Steven
Steven
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Pinker
Pinker
PROPN
NNP
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
present
presents
VERB
VBZ
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
his
his
PRON
PRP$
obj
Number=Sing
theory
theory
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
semantic
semantic
ADJ
JJ
nmod
Number=Sing
bootstrapping
bootstrapping
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
PronType=Rel
which
which
PRON
WDT
acl:relcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
hypothesize
hypothesizes
VERB
VBZ
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Number=Plur
child
children
NOUN
NNS
ccomp
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
use
use
VERB
VBP
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obj
Number=Sing
meaning
meaning
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Plur
word
words
NOUN
NNS
mark
to
to
PART
TO
advcl
VerbForm=Inf
start
start
VERB
VB
mark
to
to
PART
TO
xcomp
VerbForm=Inf
learn
learn
VERB
VB
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obj
Number=Sing
syntax
syntax
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
their
their
PRON
PRP$
nmod
Number=Sing
language
language
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
Gleitman (1990) counters
nsubj
Number=Sing
Gleitman
Gleitman
PROPN
NNP
punct
(
(
PUNCT
-LRB-
nmod:tmod
NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card
1990
1990
NUM
CD
punct
)
)
PUNCT
-RRB-
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
counter
counters
VERB
VBZ
Pinker's ideas by asserting that context is insufficient to supply word meaning, as a single context can allow for multiple interpretations of an uttered sentence.
nmod:poss
Number=Sing
Pinker
Pinker
PROPN
NNP
case
's
's
PART
POS
root
Number=Plur
idea
ideas
NOUN
NNS
mark
by
by
SCONJ
IN
acl
VerbForm=Ger
assert
asserting
VERB
VBG
det
that
that
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Number=Sing
context
context
NOUN
NN
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
is
AUX
VBZ
ccomp
Degree=Pos
insufficient
insufficient
ADJ
JJ
mark
to
to
PART
TO
xcomp
VerbForm=Inf
supply
supply
VERB
VB
compound
Number=Sing
word
word
NOUN
NN
obj
Number=Sing
meaning
meaning
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
mark
as
as
SCONJ
IN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
single
single
ADJ
JJ
nsubj
Number=Sing
context
context
NOUN
NN
aux
VerbForm=Fin
can
can
AUX
MD
advcl
VerbForm=Inf
allow
allow
VERB
VB
case
for
for
ADP
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
multiple
multiple
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Plur
interpretation
interpretations
NOUN
NNS
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
an
DET
DT
amod
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part
utter
uttered
VERB
VBN
nmod
Number=Sing
sentence
sentence
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
She explains that simply observing objects and events in the world does not provide sufficient information to infer the meanings of words and sentences.
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
she
She
PRON
PRP
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
explain
explains
VERB
VBZ
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
advmod
simply
simply
ADV
RB
csubj
VerbForm=Ger
observe
observing
VERB
VBG
obj
Number=Plur
object
objects
NOUN
NNS
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Number=Plur
event
events
NOUN
NNS
case
in
in
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
world
world
NOUN
NN
aux
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
do
does
AUX
VBZ
advmod
not
not
PART
RB
ccomp
VerbForm=Inf
provide
provide
VERB
VB
amod
Degree=Pos
sufficient
sufficient
ADJ
JJ
obj
Number=Sing
information
information
NOUN
NN
mark
to
to
PART
TO
advcl
VerbForm=Inf
infer
infer
VERB
VB
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obj
Number=Plur
meaning
meanings
NOUN
NNS
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Plur
word
words
NOUN
NNS
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Number=Plur
sentence
sentences
NOUN
NNS
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.