NEWS 2009  

• The Conference on Persuasive Database Technology and Applications: Emdros for Learning and Linguistic Analysis on March 30 at Aalborg University · Copenhagen Institute of Technology can now be accessed ONLINE
• The goal of the conference was to introduce the new study of Persuasive Learning Objects and Technology for students who wants to do there Masters Degree in computational linguistics of Biblical Hebrew or Bible transaltion focusing on datavisuaslizationn and linguistic technology. 

Role and Reference Grammar (RRG), is a sophisticated functional-structuralist theory of grammar which Nicolai Winther-Nielsen introduced for work on Biblical Hebrew in his dissertation A Fuctional Discourse Grammar of Joshua at the University of Sweden in 1995 (click HERE).

Current work focuses on applicationn of Role and Reference Grammar for Biblical Hebrew and use of technology for anlysis. This was presented in a paper given at the Computer-Assisted Research Group at SBL in Philadelphia in 2005. It is available as a recording HERE. 

Software developer Chris Wilson, Cambridge, serves as my programmer in developing a Role-Lexical Module (RLM) for Biblical Hebrew. Do have a look at our online web-application where we share current work on the Book of Genesis chapters 1-3 by special permission from Deutsche Bibelgesellschat. Click on http://lex.qwirx.com/lex/clause.jsp.  

The Role-Lexical Module is described in two recent articles:

• Winther-Nielsen, Nicolai. 2008. A Role-Lexical Module (RLM) for Biblical Hebrew: A mapping tool forRRG and WordNet. In Investigations of the Syntax-Semantics-Pragmatics Interface [SLCs 105], R.D. Van Valin Jr (Ed.), 455-478. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
• 2009. Biblical Hebrew Parsing on Display: The Role-Lexical Moudle (RLM) as a tool for Role and Reference Grammar. SEE-J Hiphil 6 [http://www.see-j.net/index.php/hiphil], 1-51 - read abstract at http://see-j.net/index.php/hiphil/article/view/78

We have furthermore published the following tecnhincal papers on our project:

• Wilson, Chris. 2009. Lex: a Software Project for Linguists.Technical ReportSEE-J Hiphil 6 [http://www.see-j.net/index.php/hiphil] (2009).
  

• Winther-Nielsen, Nicolai; Claus Tøndering & Chris Wilson, “Transliteration of Biblical Hebrew for the Role-Lexical Module” Technical ReportSEE-J Hiphil 6 [http://www.see-j.net/index.php/hiphil] (2009).

The primary task of the Role-Lexical Module is to assist research into Logical Strucures for Biblical Hebrew. Lexical representation is one of the crucial components in the interface between syntax and semantics i RRG. One of the most important questions is how how to account for the Hebrew stem system (the binyanim). An RRG Actionsart solution was presented in papers at the RRG Conference in Mexico City August 2007, at the Linguistics and Hebrew Session at SBL in San Diego 2007 and Boston 2008. 

Current work also includes the study of theory on Information Structure and cognitive ontology, and how to integrate this into a syntax-to-semantics analysis within RRG and RLM.   

Programmer and developer Chris Wilson, works on LEX  as a longterm goal to build software for linguistics for all languages and all researchers working in RRG.

Research partner Ph D Ulrik Petersen at the University of Aalborg has developed Linguistic Tree Constructor (LTC) to build syntax trees for the LSC and LSNP. You can download it HERE

Another interesting and related project focuses on developing tools for teaching basic and advanced level Hebrew linguistics. The prime efforts are to develop the 3BH platform (http://3bm.dk/index.php?p=91) into a learning environment for a Role and Reference Grammar of Biblical Hebrew.