Pascal 36 Delphi 86

C 32 C++ 63

C# 76

1.1.2 FOR Loop

In computer science, a for loop refers to a programming language statement that allows a group of codes to be executed repeatedly. A for loop is classified as an iteration statement which also includes while loop, until loop, etcetera. Unlike many other kinds of loops, each for loop has an explicit loop counter so that the number of iterations is known or can be calculated before entering the loop.

1.1.3 Cognitive Linguistics

Cognitive linguistics is a branch of linguistics that involves computer processing natural language, artificial intelligence, linguistics, psychology, system theory and etcetera. Its research can be pided into two aspects as psychologically and linguistically (Cui Xiliang, 2002: 13-34). 

1.1.4 Computational Linguistics

Computational linguistics is an interdisciplinary field related to science, engineering and humanities based on the knowledge of linguistics, mathematics and computer, and also known as natural language processing. It is advanced with the development of computer and information technology (Shao Zongyin, 2001: 76-78).

1.2 Purpose and Significance of the Study

Although the time period of formulating one high-level programming language may overlap partially with one another, the development of them takes an ascending trend. Published in 1964, BASIC is just the basic language to computer programming. Also, Pascal and C which appeared both in 1970s are two important languages that represent two different type of programming style.

Since high-level programming language is still a very broad concept, this study will focus on the change of keywords “begin” and “end” in for loops. This study will take the examples of two simple realizations of an adder from 1 to 100 and of calculating the 20th Fibonacci number using for loop in BAISC, Pascal and C in order to compare the cognition differences caused by keywords “begin” and “end” between people and the computer in single and plural statements within one loop. Combining cognitive linguistics analysis with current situation of high-level programming language, this study will be able to explain the reason and meaning of the appearance and disappearance of keywords “begin” and “end”, and finally, to form a valuable assumption towards the question whether keywords are approaching to natural language or mathematical formula.来~自^751论+文.网www.751com.cn/

2 Literature Review

2.1 Three Forms of Begin and End in For Loops

There are 3 main forms that begin and end may take in different languages. They are: 

1) conceptual “begin” and “end”, usually functionally reflected by other keywords;

2) defined “begin” and “end”, or other similar words;

3) mathematical symbols.

For the first form, in BASIC (Kemeny, and Kurtz, 1968), for loop statements were defined as:

        FOR loop variable = initial value TO final value [STEP step length]

expression 1

[expression 2

……

expression N]

NEXT loop variable

In these statements, keyword “for” is equal to “begin” and “next” is equal to “end”. Microsoft FoxPro had a similar statement definition. That is: