Showing papers on "Plural published in 1977"

A unified analysis of the English bare plural

Abstract: It is argued that the English ‘bare plural’ (an NP with plural head that lacks a determiner), in spite of its apparently diverse possibilities of interpretation, is optimally represented in the grammar as a unified phenomenon. The chief distinction to be dealt with is that between the ‘generic’ use of the bare plural (as in ‘Dogs bark’) and its existential or ‘indefinite plural’ use (as in ‘He threw oranges at Alice’). The difference between these uses is not to be accounted for by an ambiguity in the NP itself, but rather by explicating how the context of the sentence acts on the bare plural to give rise to this distinction. A brief analysis is sketched in which bare plurals are treated in all instances as proper names of kinds of things. A subsidiary argument is that the null determiner is not to be regarded as the plural of the indefinite article a.

A Theory of Aggregates

Abstract: Introductions to the mathematical notion of set standardly explicate that notion by distinguishing it from a vaguer, more ordinary notion of aggregation, collection, or combination. Since Cantor and Frege, students have been warned that sets are not located in space-time and cannot be perceived or acted upon, and that a set of, say, fifty-two playing cards is not to be confused with the set of the four suits. The severity of this warning-and the usefulness and power of set theory-have led to the neglect of the ordinary notion of aggregation. The purpose of this paper is to refine that notion and give it a place in semantical and philosophical analysis.' Refinement is worthwhile for two reasons. First, the notion is useful in giving semantically intelligible form to some of our descriptions involving plural constructions and mass terms. Second, the notion will serve to hone the distinction between concrete and abstract objects.

Embedded clause reduction and Scandinavian gender agreement

Abstract: The impetus for this paper is a curious case of gender disagreement in Scandinavian, whereby the rule assigning gender agreement to predicate adjectives is apparently violated.' An analysis of the facts is provided, and it is shown that other semantico-syntactic phenomena of Scandinavian can be handled within the same explanatory framework. The data presented are all chosen from Norwegian (except those quoted from Swedish authors), but corresponding data can be found in any of the Scan(linavian languages. The English glosses are in most cases literal translations. I. In Scandinavian the predicative adjective normally shows agreement with the subject of the sentence for gender and number. Adjectives agreeing with singular neuter nouns mostly take the ending -t, when agreeing with singular non-neuter nouns they take no ending, and when agreeing with plural nouns of any gender

Theories of the plural society and change in South Africa

Abstract: Theories of the plural society are examined critically and the conclusion is reached that cultural differentiation in society is not, in itself, the major factor accounting for perpetuation of cleavages in plural societies. It is argued that a composite paradigm based on these theories is useful in ordering and combining elements of class, culture and ethnicity in attempting to explain the cleavages in plural societies. The argument is carried further with the suggestion that the popular participation within ruling groups characteristic of plural societies results in a responsiveness in policy to rank‐and‐file corporate group interests. This factor unleashes forces in the political economy which are worthy of being distinguished from conventional notions of class, status and power in homogeneous stratified societies. This factor is given the term ‘popular social communa‐lism’, a process in which class, identity and power are combined and articulated to serve the overall interests of a corporate group. Rec...

Actuating device for an invalid of plural electrical control circuits

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuating device for an invalid of at least one electrical control circuit of an apparatus comprising a source of a fluid with a constant flow which is feeding at least a pipe with an open end and a branch, said branch feeding a pressure detector which controls, when said open end is closed, the switching on or switching off of an utilization circuit.

Parental training of the plural morpheme in normal toddlers1.

Abstract: Experimental studies with young normal children can provide useful strategy for the functional analysis of language. Research by Whitehurst (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1972, 13, 502–515) exemplifies this approach, in which 2-yr-old children were exposed to a training procedure that involved imitation and differential reinforcement for a two-word productive sequence of the adjective-noun form. Results indicated that these young children could be trained to produce rudimentary novel utterances that were grammatically appropriate. More recently, Hursh and Sherman (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1973, 15, 328–339) reported the existence of a functional relationship between parental modelling and reinforcement of vocalizations, and increased instances of these vocalizations in young (15- to 20-month-old) children. These demonstrations relate to a summary of findings with linguistically deviant populations discussed by Sherman (Advances in Child Development, 1971). The present study attempts to extend these “generative” investigations to normal children and to provide useful information for those interested in teaching speech forms to them. Modelling and differential reinforcement were used by three mothers to establish the use of the plural morpheme in the speech of their 19- to 25-month-old children. During training trials, verbal praise was presented contingent on correct labelling of singular and plural items, while correct labelling was modelled if the child responded incorrectly. Children learned to label specifically trained sets of singular and plural items and also exhibited correct labelling when asked to label never-trained singular and plural items. After establishing correct usage, the same training procedures were used to train reversed labelling (plural responses to single items and singular responses to plural items). This produced a corresponding reversal of responding (both trained and untrained items) by each child for the plural items but not for singular items. Correct singular and plural labelling was recovered by returning to the initial procedures.

Detector of address character rows of postal matter

Abstract: PURPOSE: To improve ordinary methods and detect address character rows of postal matter including postal address with ease by detecting the address character rows of postal matter through compressing plural scannings. COPYRIGHT: (C)1979,JPO&Japio

the utility of pluralism: M. G. Smith and plural theory

Abstract: This paper reevaluates plural theory and its implications through an analysis of M. G. Smith's contribution. Difficulties encountered stem from Smith's preoccupation with political causality and his assignment of conflict and consensus theory to two different kinds of society. We conclude that neither of these assumptions is integral to plural theory per se. Plural theory is capable of asking the appropriate questions concerning how the vertical corporations of a plural society are created, maintained, and transformed.

Magnetic disc memory control unit

Abstract: PURPOSE:To obtain the unit where arbitrary different areas on the same magnetic memory can be occupied temporarily by plural processing units or plural programs and plural tasks simultaneously.

Magnetic disk device

Abstract: PURPOSE:To make plural erasures on track simultaneously by selecting plural magnetic heads corresponding to plural tracks to be erased simultaneously, thus making erasing current flow in plural magnetic heads simultaneously.

Automatic sales machine

Abstract: PURPOSE:To provide an automatic sales machine to provide a system to calculate the number of commodities by their weight, and it is easy for filling at commodities and the choice of plural ones can be made.

The role of noun imagery in the speed of processing the grammaticality of adjective-noun phrases

Abstract: This experiment investigated speed of processing the grammaticality of phrases consisting of the adjective "one" or "two" followed by a singular or plural noun. The subject's task was to press one of two keys, depending upon whether the phrase was grammatically correct or incorrect. There were eight types of phrases, formed by the factorial combinations of singular or plural adjectives, singular or plural nouns, and high or low noun imageD'. These served as within-subjects variables. Between-subjects variables were the factorial combinations of sex of subject, duration of stimulus phrase (.2 or 2.5 sec), and hand assigned to the correct-grammar key. A fourth between-subjects variable was whether or not the subject reported using an artificial phrase-scanning strategy to determine grammaticality. Correct grammar, singular noun form, high noun imagery, and reported use of the strategy all produced highly significant reductions in reaction times. Only 1% of the interactions were significant. A multistage serial processing model that could be based upon Sternberg's additive factor paradigm or even Donders' subtraction method was found to be highly successful in describing the results.

Micro program control system

Abstract: PURPOSE:To enable easily for the usage of micro instruction with high efficiency and for the control over a plural number of cycles not limited by 1 cycle control, by holding the micro instruction register during a plural number of cycles.

Meeting telephone system

Abstract: PURPOSE:To enable for a plural number of communicating paths accommodated in one meeting telephone exclusive board simultaneously in common use of separate meetings by dividing them into a plural number of groups.

Multiplex camppon control system

Abstract: PURPOSE:In order to make the connection of a call with the highest priority amont the plural numbers of calls with the extension prior to others possible, through letting the plural number of aalls against the identical extension camp-on at the same time.

Automatic sales machine

Abstract: PURPOSE:To prohibit the sales of the prescribed item as required in a certain limited time in a day for an automatic sales machine of plural items.