Lexical Semantics of Adjectives - CiteSeerX

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3.4 Relative Adjective (Denominal) Representation
(scope hear)
(attributed-to *speaker*))))))
Relative adjectives are denominal, object-related, in their meaning. The following example illustrates
the connection between nominal and adjectival meanings.
(72) (i) (medicine (medicine-N1)
(CAT n)
(SYN-STRUC
(root $var0)
(cat n)))
(SEM-STRUC
(LEX-MAP
medicine))))
(ii) (medical (medical-Adj)
(CAT adj)
(SYN-STRUC
(1 ((root $var1)
(cat n)
(mods ((root $var0)))))
(2 ((root $var0)
(cat adj)
(subj ((root $var1)
(cat n))))))
(SEM-STRUC
(LEX-MAP
(^$var1 (pertain-to medicine))))))
A well-known problem in semantic analysis is finding the property on which a modifier is connected
to the modified. In the worst case, the MikroKosmos analyzer uses the catch-all relation PER-
TAIN-TO. What we need to discuss here, however, is whether we have the ability to produce entries
that are more specific than that. We have indeed identified several more specific relations.
The first such relation is OWNED-BY, as in federal (73):
(73) (federal (federal-Adj1)
(CAT adj)
(SYN-STRUC
(1 ((root $var1)
(cat n)
(mods ((root $var0)))))
(2 ((root $var0)
(cat adj)
(subj ((root $var1)
(cat n))))))
(SEM-STRUC
(LEX-MAP
(^$var1 (owned-byfederation))))))
Another specific relation is HAS-AS-PART, as in malignant-3 (74):
(74) (malignant
(malignant-Adj3
(CAT adj)
(SYN-STRUC
(1 ((root $var1)
(cat n)