Linguist · Formal semantics · Ivorian languages · Developer
Akpoué
Kouamé Josué
Linguist and developer. I work on linguistic meaning and its composition — from the semantic feature to the sentence — drawing primarily on Ivorian languages to challenge and refine formal semantic models. I also build computational tools for scientific writing and documentation.
Research
Empirically grounded theoretical research on linguistic meaning.
Axis I — Theoretical
Neo-componential semantics & theory of ambiguity
How should the modularity of linguistic meaning be encoded in a formal, compositional framework? And what does it mean for a theory of meaning to take ambiguity seriously as a structural property of language — not a residue to be explained away?
Axis II — Thematic
Plurality, quantification, coordination, nominal semantics
Ivorian languages — particularly Kwa languages — as a primary empirical ground for challenging and refining formal models developed mostly on the basis of well-studied European languages.
Recent publications
Structure of conjunctive coordination of DPs in Modjukru
On the meaning of proper names and proper pronouns
Tools
Computational tools for scientific writing and linguistic documentation.
language
activeWRIML
A documentary markup language designed for scientific writing and research documentation. WRIML provides a structured, extensible framework for encoding linguistic and scholarly documents.
dsl
stableWRASCI
WRASCI (WRiting ASCii Ipa) is a deterministic ASCII encoding standard for the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Designed for plain-text linguistic data representation and typesetting pipelines, it maps phonetic symbols using systematic geometric suffix rules (e.g., character inversions, reversals, and diacritic modifiers), enabling unambiguous IPA input on standard keyboards without special software tools.
dsl
in-developmentφ (phi)
A lightweight notation syntax for formal semantics. Write logical formulas, lambda expressions, semantic types, and denotations without memorizing dozens of LaTeX commands. The specification (v0.2.0) and formal EBNF grammar are stable, but backends are not yet released — φ is currently usable for quick notes but not yet ready for editorial or publication workflows.
package
stablecssyntax
The cssyntax package introduces a unified syntax layer for LaTeX package development, designed to structure and clarify the naming of internal commands. By temporarily extending the scope of the _, :, and / characters, it enables authors to formalize control sequences using an explicit hierarchical convention (container_module_type_subtype/description). cssyntax provides a set of high-level, self-documenting aliases for core TeX and LaTeX2e primitives, offering developers a modern, readable, and domain-agnostic foundation for writing robust TeX code.
package
in-developmentmath4lin
The official LaTeX backend for φ. Compiles φ notation to LaTeX commands via expl3 pattern matching. Intended for drop-in integration into existing LaTeX workflows. Not yet released — development in progress alongside the φ specification.
package
stablexsipa
A LaTeX package providing shorthand commands for phonetic transcription, based on XSAMPA notation. Reduces verbosity of tipa-style commands for IPA transcription in linguistic documents.
package
in-developmentlipa
A LaTeX package that translates Unicode IPA input to tipa commands on-the-fly. Rather than shortening transcription commands (as xsipa does), lipa acts as a transparent translation layer: type directly in Unicode IPA, get tipa output. More ambitious than xsipa — currently in development.
package
stableinterlinear
LaTeX package for typesetting interlinear glossed examples in linguistic documents.
macro
active{"en"=>"VBA & LibreOffice macros", "fr"=>"Macros VBA & LibreOffice"}
A collection of VBA and LibreOffice macros designed to streamline scientific writing workflows — including φ transformation support for Word and LibreOffice.