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CAN OVERT SYNTACTIC STRUCTURE BE INTERPRETED 
AS A LOGICAL DEVICE ? 
Helmut RICHTER and Georg HINCHA 
University of Cologne, Germany 
RESUME 
Attempts to reduce syntactic Structures to logical ones , as known 
to the authors, tend to discover a special kind of underlying structure beyond 
the overt syntactic constructions. In an alternative approach, the authors try 
to interpret as much as possible of overt syntactic strucoa~, as in~nediately 
representing the elements of a particular logical calculus. The paper to be pre- 
sented is planned to be an extension of the authors' Syllogon Model which will 
be published for the first time at the Conference of the Societas Linguistica 
Europea in Brussels, 2nd April, 1967. 
It is asked whether the Syntactic elements of natural languages can 
be said to correspond to the elements of the calculus of multiple relations~ 
i.e., may be identified with the particular variables, constants, and operator s 
of that calculus. This seems to be possible not only in the general sense that 
relations remaining under a certain threshold of logical complexity can be 
verbalized. (Such verbal paraphrasing may be exemplified by REICHEMBACH classifying 
the preposition between as a three-place relation, obviously relying on con~non 
understanding or alleged semantics. This interpretation reminds of illustrative 
examples in textbooks of symbolic logic.) It should, however, also be possible 
to show that, regardless of content, syntactic elements organize into specific 
sets according to their functions as logical entities. 
The authors tentatively start froa the axiomatic premises that the 
slot of the relation variables is filled by finite verb forms and combinations 
of the type copulative plus nominal, whereas the slot of object variables is 
filled by nominals (at least those being granmmtical subjects and objects). A 
sylloKon is defined as a syntactic construction when interpreted as a predicative 
function. A syllogon is called a n-syllogon if it is identifiable with a n-place 
relation. The class of the n-sylloga is the n-syllogeme. 
-I- 
All syntactic structures known to be universal are either !-sylloga 
i 
or 2-sylloga. (Possibly, syllogeme~ of higher order maY be necessary to account 
"for constructions with subordinate sentences). In order to become a statement, 
generally a predicative function must be either quantified, or its variables must 
be substituted by individual names. While the constituents of the predicative 
function must be overtly present in natural syntax, the explicit quantification 
of a syllogon is optional. Thus, many sentences, taken in isolati0~ , remain 
mere predicative functions, which imposes serious restrictions upon any attempt 
to detect a peculiar covert structure (of separate sentences) aimed at by some 
linguists under the labels of depth structure, innere Form, nomostructure, and 
the like. Rather, something-like "quantification by context of situation" must 
be conceived of. 
On the other hand, many of those linguistic elements denoting a 
qualification are loaded with additional meaning. It is distinguished, with 
regard to predicative functions in natural languages, between the strictly 
extentional aspect of quantification and additional features in the production 
of statements. (We therefore subsume both qua~ificationand additional features 
under the more general label of amplification.) 
Variables in the different slots may be augmented by subordinate 
syntactic elements. It is this device which provides natural languages with 
the possibility to hint, within its restricted algorithm, at fairly complex 
relationships. Present investigation is devoted to the question how subordinate 
sentences can be accounted for along the lines of the present scope. 
It is to be hoped that the syllogon model, with its emphasis on the 
overt structure as a restricted but clearly determined ~mechanism, will 
offer a ~ewway of tackling with the problems of ambiguity in translation. 
