Bracketing (linguistics)
Encyclopedia
In linguistics
, particularly linguistic morphology
, bracketing is a term of art that refers to how an utterance
can be represented as a hierarchical tree of constituent parts. Analysis techniques based on bracketing are used at different levels of grammar
, but are particularly associated with morphologically complex words.
To give an example of bracketing in English
, consider the word uneventful. This word is made of three parts, the prefix un-, the root event, and the suffix -ful. An English speaker should have no trouble parsing this word as "lacking in significant events" . However, imagine a foreign linguist with access to a dictionary of English roots and affixes, but only a superficial understanding of English grammar. Conceivably, he or she could understand uneventful as one of:
We can represent these two understandings of uneventful with the bracketings
and 
, respectively. Here, bracketing gives the linguist a convenient technique for representing the different ways to parse the word, and for forming hypotheses about why the word is parsed the way it is by speakers of the language.
Since bracketing represents a hierarchical tree, it is associated to some extent with generative grammar
. Some theories in cognitive linguistics
rely on the idea that bracketing represents to some degree of accuracy how listeners parse complex utterances (e.g. level ordering). In computational linguistics
, rules for how a program should parse a word can be represented in terms of possible bracketings.
It is not completely clear that bracketing accurately represents the structure of utterances. In particular, there are bracketing paradox
es that challenge this idea. However, there is some evidence for bracketing, such as the creation of new words via rebracketing.
s that begin with N, where the given name does not begin with N (e.g. Ned for Edward, Nelly for Ellen). In Old English, the first person possessive pronoun
was mīn. Old English speakers commonly addressed family and close friends with "min <Name>", for example, "min Ed". Over time, the pronoun shifted from min to mi and children learning the language rebracketed the utterance /mined/ from the original "min Ed" (
) to "mi Ned" (
). Interestingly a similar process is responsible for the word "nickname".
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, particularly linguistic morphology
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
, bracketing is a term of art that refers to how an utterance
Utterance
In spoken language analysis an utterance is a complete unit of speech. It is generally but not always bounded by silence.It can be represented and delineated in written language in many ways. Note that in such areas of research utterances do not exist in written language, only their representations...
can be represented as a hierarchical tree of constituent parts. Analysis techniques based on bracketing are used at different levels of grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
, but are particularly associated with morphologically complex words.
To give an example of bracketing in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, consider the word uneventful. This word is made of three parts, the prefix un-, the root event, and the suffix -ful. An English speaker should have no trouble parsing this word as "lacking in significant events" . However, imagine a foreign linguist with access to a dictionary of English roots and affixes, but only a superficial understanding of English grammar. Conceivably, he or she could understand uneventful as one of:
- "not eventful", where eventful in turn means "full of events"
- "full of unevents", where unevent in turn means "something different from or opposite to an event"
We can represent these two understandings of uneventful with the bracketings
and , respectively. Here, bracketing gives the linguist a convenient technique for representing the different ways to parse the word, and for forming hypotheses about why the word is parsed the way it is by speakers of the language.Since bracketing represents a hierarchical tree, it is associated to some extent with generative grammar
Generative grammar
In theoretical linguistics, generative grammar refers to a particular approach to the study of syntax. A generative grammar of a language attempts to give a set of rules that will correctly predict which combinations of words will form grammatical sentences...
. Some theories in cognitive linguistics
Cognitive linguistics
In linguistics, cognitive linguistics refers to the branch of linguistics that interprets language in terms of the concepts, sometimes universal, sometimes specific to a particular tongue, which underlie its forms...
rely on the idea that bracketing represents to some degree of accuracy how listeners parse complex utterances (e.g. level ordering). In computational linguistics
Computational linguistics
Computational linguistics is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the statistical or rule-based modeling of natural language from a computational perspective....
, rules for how a program should parse a word can be represented in terms of possible bracketings.
It is not completely clear that bracketing accurately represents the structure of utterances. In particular, there are bracketing paradox
Bracketing paradox
In linguistic morphology, the term bracketing paradox refers to morphologically complex words which apparently have more than one incompatible analysis, or bracketing, simultaneously....
es that challenge this idea. However, there is some evidence for bracketing, such as the creation of new words via rebracketing.
Rebracketing
Rebracketing is a type of folk etymology that can result in the creation of new words. An often cited example in English is certain common nicknameNickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s that begin with N, where the given name does not begin with N (e.g. Ned for Edward, Nelly for Ellen). In Old English, the first person possessive pronoun
Possessive pronoun
A possessive pronoun is a part of speech that substitutes for a noun phrase that begins with a possessive determiner . For example, in the sentence These glasses are mine, not yours, the words mine and yours are possessive pronouns and stand for my glasses and your glasses, respectively...
was mīn. Old English speakers commonly addressed family and close friends with "min <Name>", for example, "min Ed". Over time, the pronoun shifted from min to mi and children learning the language rebracketed the utterance /mined/ from the original "min Ed" (
) to "mi Ned" (). Interestingly a similar process is responsible for the word "nickname".