Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ames!uhccux!lee
From: lee@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Greg Lee)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Language Acquisition (was: Machines *CAN* think!)
Message-ID: <7221@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu>
Date: 10 Apr 90 04:09:21 GMT
References: <370@ntpdvp1.UUCP>
Organization: University of Hawaii
Lines: 14

From article <370@ntpdvp1.UUCP>, by sandyz@ntpdvp1.UUCP (Sandy Zinn):
>
>The Balinese have a very elaborate system of social interchange which
>regulates word usage based on whom the person will be talking to.  ...
>Sentences as words-strung-together-according-to-syntax is too simplistic
>a conception of language, in my view. ...

So if you're interested in conversations rather than just sentences,
make that conversations as words-strung-together-according-to-syntax.
By noting that sentence syntax does not in itself suffice to describe
conversations, you have not shown that describing conversations requires
bringing in non-syntactic principles that were not required for
sentences.
				Greg, lee@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu