Linguistic Analyzers of the Arabic Language: Linguistic Engineering Basis

1. Introduction

This research falls within the framework of Dependency Grammar Systems such as the theory of the syntactic lexicon, which is considered as Theoretical and methodological fulcrum of platform linguistics, or as it is termed fourth-generation linguistics. It proved useful in developing research on the linguistic architecture of various natural languages, through its reliance on the techniques of electronic dictionaries and the local grammar based on several automates and transducers. This system enabled the achievement of an accumulation of knowledge whose level differed from one language to another, despite the early scholars’ efforts in this regard, the Arabic language still occupied a weak place. This fact is due to the absence of institutional structures incubating full-fledged scientific projects, as most of the attempts remained Scattered, individual initiatives governed by academic goals in general. All these initiatives did not go beyond the morphological aspects, and thus the focus on building a synthetic analyzer for the Arabic language, along with the rest of the other linguistic analyzers, becomes an urgent need in order to complete the construction process of comprehensive linguistic resources for the Arabic language.

With this in mind, this scientific participation seeks to achieve the following objectives:

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  Platform linguistic and knowledge society

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  Linguistic analyzers and Arabic language engineering

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  Determining methods for building a syntax analyzer for the Arabic language through the technique of syntactic lexicon tables.

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  Demonstrating techniques for converting synthetic tables into parametric graphs.

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  Defining the technical procedures for the elaboration of patron graphs through applications in the Arabic language.

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  Processing technologies through the “unitex”

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  Summaries, conclusions, and prospects.

2. Platform Linguistics And Knowledge Society

Contemporary linguistics has developed from viewing language as finite structural frameworks upon which linguistic codes are built, to perceiving language as an infinite and algorithmic formal system inherent to human competencies, namely, natural language. Despite the temporal distance and epistemological divergence between these two perspectives, they share a commonality in their utilization of descriptive language rooted in the humanities, such as logic and psychology, including cognitive sciences, all falling within the same domain albeit with variations in semantic content. Each perspective has formulated a lexicon of linguistic concepts that defines the language it investigates, all emerging from the core of its theoretical concerns and requirements.

After presenting the theoretical frameworks of the linguistic journey in its two main traditional directions, in light of the technological advancements witnessed in natural language processing research, it becomes apparent that the adoption of either perspective, or even both together, is insufficient for the development of sound computer applications. Thus, we have constructed a new theory that integrates elements from both directions, which we refer to as “Lexicon-Grammar.”

In this context, Arabic linguistics has gone through four successive chronological stages. We can explain this transition from one generation to another through the evolution of scientific discoveries. Human knowledge evolves based on what it discovers within the realm of word’s phenomena. It's not just because scientists desire cognitive development; rather, each scientific era has its own scientific tools for describing natural phenomena. As humans realize that the tools, they have developed for scientific research are no longer capable of achieving their cognitive aspirations, they create new tools that enable them to explore the world and describe its phenomena.