Posted on 12/15/2022 5:21:08 AM PST by BenLurkin
The 27-year-old accomplished the feat by decoding a rule taught by “the father of linguistics,” Pāṇini.
The discovery makes it possible to “derive” any Sanskrit word – constructing millions of grammatically correct words including “mantra” and “guru” – using Pāṇini’s famous “language machine.”
Pāṇini’s system — which includes 4,000 rules detailed in his greatest work, the Aṣṭādhyāyī — was written around 500 BC. Linguists say it works like a machine. Feed in the base and suffix of a word and it should turn them into grammatically correct words and sentences through a step-by-step process.
Until now, however, there has been a huge problem. Scientists say two or more of Pāṇini’s rules are often simultaneously applicable at the same step, leaving scholars to debate which one to choose.
Pāṇini...taught a metarule to help decide which rule is applicable in the event of a rule conflict. For the last 2,500 years, however, scholars have misinterpreted the metarule — meaning they often end up with a grammatically incorrect result.
In an attempt to fix the issue, many researchers worked hard to develop hundreds of other metarules.
Traditionally, scientists have interpreted Pāṇini’s metarule as meaning: “in the event of a conflict between two rules of equal strength, the rule that comes later in the grammar’s serial order wins.”
Dr. Rajpopat rejects this, arguing that Pāṇini meant that between rules applicable to the left and right sides of a word respectively. The PhD student believes Pāṇini wanted people to choose the rule applicable to the right side. Employing this interpretation, Dr. Rajpopat found Pāṇini’s language machine produced grammatically correct words with almost no exceptions.
The researcher says a major implication of this discovery is that scientists now have the algorithm that runs Pāṇini’s grammar, making it possible for advanced computers to learn this grammar.
(Excerpt) Read more at studyfinds.org ...
ping
Darn! I was just working on this the other day - he beat me by inches.
Since Sanskrit is almost the oldest tongue spoken, it puts us closer to hearing the voice of Noah.
Well, I’m glad that’s settled.
Now, back to my study of the Kama Sutra........................
Next up: How to square a triangle.
Ah, yes, the scientific conundrum whose solution is to fail to achieve solution until a time impossible to derive mathematically.
On my bucket list for practical research ;-)
I used to call it the ‘Karma’ Sutra................😉
LOL
He may be unemployed but he has a lot of bread.................
The language of sandwiches?
I can’t wait for the movie version.................
That was solved by Isosceles in 35 BC...............
In the air?
Right.....................
Infowars said Scalene predated Isosceles…
I came up with the word Oveltine.
Birth records are so scarce and unreliable from back then.................
Just another one of our great eternal debates…
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.