Programme booklet (pdf)

PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Computing the meaning of multi-word expressions for
semantic inference
Abstract
Cremers, Crit
Leiden University
The immense diversity of multi words expressions in every language imposes heavy
requirements on the lexicon, the grammar and their interface for deep semantic
analysis to be feasible. The lexicon for meaning-driven NLP is huge and phrasal.
We present a model for dealing with extended lexical units in a parser/generator for
Dutch that aims at the logical computation of entailments and presuppositions. The
model consists of three components: a fiat architecture for the computational lexicon,
an efficient organization of on-line lexical retrieval and a selectional method of
semantic underspecification. In the fiat lexicon, all combinatory instances of all lexical
varieties of all (semantically) relevant constructions are spelled out as feature-value
graphs. Each of the feature-value graphs contains all combinatory information needed
for synatctic and semantic processing. This constructicon is produced off line. It is
managed on line by a retrieval system that selects contextually required and adequate
constructions in linear time. The underspecification allows to disambiguate the
combinatory result by evaluating the structure of the representations.
The model will be demonstrated by reference to two particular constructions: the
Dutch way- (Poss 2009) and the Dutch honger-construction. The first one – “jij hebt je
een weg uit de gevangenis geslijmd” - exemplifies an intriguing combination of lexical
restrictions, productivity, structure sensitivity and semantic specificity. The second – “ik
heb geen erg grote honger” - exemplifies transcategorial semantic effects, where open
modification of a noun phrase requires translation into propositional and statesensitive
operators.
Corresponding author: c.l.j.m.cremers@hum.leidenuniv.nl
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