Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics.pdf

A-Z 755model1 Generally, a (formal) representation in scientific studies of important structural andfunctional properties of the real world based on abstraction and idealization. Based on theanalogy between models and some aspects of the object of study, predictions can bemade about the rule-orderedness of the object of study that are not immediately apparentthrough observation (cf. N.Chomsky’s model for describing linguistic competence (competence vs performance) in the form of an automaton that is capable of simulatingthe linguistic creativity of humans.) To the degree that models are hypotheses aboutreality, they require (experimental) examination of the object of study in order to beverified. The term ‘model’ is often used synonymously with grammar or grammartheory.ReferenceChomsky, N. 1965. Aspects of the theory of syntax. Cambridge, MA.2 In predicate logic, basic term in modeltheoretic semantics. A model here consists of arange of individuals E and a model function f that assigns a categorically properextension to every basic expression in the language. Every model recursively yields alinguistic inter-pretation that describes a logically dependable interpretation of theirexpressions.model-theoretic semantics (also Tarskiansemantics)Based on the work of A.Tarski and others, model-theoretic semantics is a concept ofsemantic interpretation in formal-logical languages developed by logicians for logicalsemantics which permits conditions of ‘truth’ and ‘satisfaction’ to be describedrecursively ( recursiveness). An important basic principle of model-theoreticsemantics is the strict distinction between a (formal) object language, to be semanticallyinterpreted, and a metalanguage, in which semantic predicates like ‘false’ or ‘true’ areintroduced ( object language vs metalanguage). Procedure in model-theoreticsemantics is characterized by specifying an interpretation that consists of a ‘set ofindividuals’ E, in which well-formed expressions of this language are interpreted with theaid of an interpretational function g. The values of g are then the extensions of theexpressions belonging to them. Such a function g assigns, for example in predicate logic,elements of E to the individual terms, subsets of E to the one-place predicate constants,and truth values as extensions to the closed formulae. One advantage of model-theoreticsemantics is that it allows semantic relationships between closed formulae to be realized.