15th-16th Century

The 16th century also contributed significantly to the development of ideas that later became foundational for Natural Language Processing (NLP). Key achievements of this era include:

1. Linguistics and Grammar

First Language Standardizations:

• Efforts to codify national languages began in Europe. For example, Antonio de Nebrija's Gramática de la lengua castellana (1492) was the first grammar of the Spanish language.

• Contribution to NLP: These standardizations laid the groundwork for syntactic and morphological analysis.

Humanism and Linguistics:

A renewed focus on studying Ancient Greek and Latin languages deepened interest in linguistic structure, influencing the development of grammatical theories.

2. Mechanical Devices

Printed Books:

• The invention of the printing press (Gutenberg, 15th century) opened access to large text corpora. By the 16th century, books were actively used for analyzing texts and languages.

• Contribution to NLP: The emergence of large textual datasets enabled systematic language studies.

Automata:

• Leonardo da Vinci and other inventors developed mechanisms that mimicked movements and actions, though examples specifically related to language were rare.

3. Philosophy and Logic

Revival of Aristotelian Logic:

• Philosophers of the 16th century revisited Aristotle’s ideas, including studies in logic and the structure of arguments.

• Contribution to NLP: These logical explorations provided a foundation for the future formalization of languages.

4. Translation Studies

Bible Translations:

• The translation of the Bible into vernacular languages, such as Martin Luther’s (1522–1534), required deep analysis of language structure and semantics.

• Contribution to NLP: The study of translations introduced early approaches to processing texts across languages.

Conclusion

The 16th century laid the groundwork for the systematic study of languages, their standardization, and logical analysis. These achievements became an important step toward modern NLP.