Spring 2012 IA165 Combinatory Logic for Computational Semantics by Juyeon Kang
Classwork N°7
due to 13th April 2012
Exercise: “Application of combinators to natural language analysis: Reflexivization”
1. To apply successfully the combinators to natural language analysis, we need to handle
adequately the introduction and elimination rules by beta-reduction defined for each
combinator. Please remind these rules and apply them to the following sentences.
Wfx  →β  fxx 
Bxyz →β  x(yz)
C*xy →β  yx
(a) John sent himself a letter
(b) The fixed-point theorem proved itself
(c) He found himself qualified
(d) Mary heard herself speaking (in a radio)
2. Formal semantic analysis of Reflexives using combinators: “Multilingual examples”
(e) a. Marie se viděla tančit (v zrcadle) (Mary saw herself dance (in a mirror))
b. Marie viděla Petra tančit (Mary saw Peter dance)
(f) a. Soudce se shledal vinným (The judge found himself guilty)
b. Soudce shledal Petra vinným. (The judge found Peter guilty)
(g) a. Jean se lave (Jean washes himself)
b. Jean lave son assiette (Jean washes his dish)