A general computational model for word-form recognition and production

Abstract

A language independent model for recognition and production of word forms is presented. This "two-level model" is based on a new way of describing morphological alternations. All rules describing the morphophonological variations are parallel and relatively independent of each other. Individual rules are implemented as finite state automata, as in an earlier model due to Martin Kay and Ron Kaplan. The two-level model has been implemented as an operational computer programs in several places. A number of operational two-level descriptions have been written or are in progress (Finnish, English, Japanese, Rumanian, French, Swedish, Old Church Slavonic, Greek, Lappish, Arabic, Icelandic). The model is bidirectional and it is capable of both analyzing and synthesizing word-forms.