---
title: "Word Expert Parsing"
authors:
  - "Chuck Rieger"
  - "Steven L. Small"
doi: ""
url: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1979/160"
pdf: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1979/0160.pdf"
venue: "Proceedings of the Sixth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence"
year: 1979
pages: ""
track: ""
keywords:
---

# Word Expert Parsing

Chuck Rieger, Steven L. Small

*Proceedings of the Sixth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence*.

## Abstract

An approach to natural language meaning-baaed parsing in which the unit of linguistic knowledge is the word rather than the rewrite rule is described. In the Word Expert Parser, knowledge about language is diatributed acroaa a povulation of procedural expert!. each representing a word of the language, and each an expert at diagnosing that word a intended usage in context. tne parser is structured around a coroutine control environment in which the generator-like word experts ask questions and exchange information in coming to collective agreement on sentence meaning. The Word Expert theory is advanced as a better cognitive model of human language expertise than the traditional rule-baaed approach. The technical discussion is organized around examples taken from the prototype LISP syatem which implements parts of the theory.