Restrictions on copredication: a situation theoretic approach

This paper proposes a situation-theoretic account of polysemy: polysemous nouns denote situations that witness (i.e. contain) multiple entities of different types. For instance, lunch denotes situations that contain an eating event and some food where these stand in a patient relation. A puzzle regarding more than two ways polysemous nouns such as statement is the restrictions on copredication they exhibit, namely, where multiple, potentially incompatible predicates are applied based on a single antecedent, but not all combinations of readings are possible. Such restrictions fall naturally out of the situation-theoretic account of polysemy

Vector based semantic analysis reveals absence of competition among related senses

Ranija istraživanja pokazala su da je porast u broju povezanih značenja (polisemija) praćen kraćim vremenom obrade reči, dok je porast u broju nepovezanih značenja (homonimija) praćen dužim vremenom obrade reči. U ovom istraživanju evaluirali smo metod za kvantitativno opisivanje višeznačnih reči na osnovu višedimenzionalne distribucije kontekstualnih vektora kojeg su predložili Moscoso del Prado Martín i saradnici. Na osnovu distribucije kontekstualnih vektora pojedinačnih pojavljivanja polisemičnih reči srpskog jezika izračunata je entropija ekvivalentne Gausove distribucije i negentropija funkcije gustine verovatnoće. Entropija ekvivalentne Gausove distribucije, koja je izvedena iz matrice kovarijanse, predstavlja meru varijabilnosti u višedimenzionalnom prostoru i odslikava postojanje povezanih značenja reči (polisemija). Negentropija predstavlja razliku između entropije ekvivalentne Gausove distribucije i diferencijalne entropije funkcije gustine verovatnoće kontekstualnih vektora i odslikava postojanje nepovezanih značenja (homonimija). U skladu sa predviđanjima, na skupu polisemičnih imenica srpskog jezika, zabeležen je samo efekat entropije ekvivalentne Gausove distribucije. Negentropija nije imala uticaj na vreme reakcije. Ovaj nalaz je u skladu sa pretpostavkom da entropija ekvivalentne Gausove distribucije, kao mera širine aktivacije u semantičkom prostoru, odslikava polisemiju, odnosno prisustvo povezanih značenja reči. Stoga se prednost u obradi polisemičnih reči može objasniti širokom aktivacijom u semantičkom prostoru i smanjenom kompeticijom među Gausovim distribucijama koje se preklapaju u velikoj meri.Previous research demonstrated that processing time was facilitated by number of related word senses (polysemy) and inhibited by number of unrelated word meanings (homonymy). The starting point of this research were the findings described by Moscoso del Prado Martín and colleagues, who offered a unique account of processing of two forms of lexical ambiguity. By applying the techniques they proposed, for the set of strictly polysemous Serbian nouns we calculated ambiguity measures they introduced. Based on the covariance matrix of the context vectors, we derived entropy of equivalent Gaussian distribution, and based on the context vectors probability density function, we derived differential entropy. Negentropy was calculated as the difference between the two. Based on interpretation that entropy of equivalent Gaussian mirrors sense cooperation, or polysemy, while negentropy mirrors meaning competition, or homonymy, we predicted that in the set of strictly polysemous nouns, negentropy effect would disappear. In accordance with our predictions, entropy of equivalent Gaussian distribution accounted for significant proportion of processing latencies variance. Negentropy did not affect reaction time. This finding is in accordance with the hypothesis that entropy of equivalent Gaussian distribution, as a measure of general width of activation in semantic space, reflects polysemy, that is, the existence of related senses. Therefore, polysemy advantage could be the result of the wide-spread activation in semantic space and reduced competition among overlapping Gaussians

The polysemy of the Spanish verb sentir: a behavioral profile analysis

This study investigates the intricate polysemy of the Spanish perception verb sentir (‘feel’) which, analogous to the more-studied visual perception verbs ver (‘see’) and mirar (‘look’), also displays an ample gamut of semantic uses in various syntactic environments. The investigation is based on a corpus-based behavioral profile (BP) analysis. Besides its methodological merits as a quantitative, systematic and verifiable approach to the study of meaning and to polysemy in particular, the BP analysis offers qualitative usage-based evidence for cognitive linguistic theorizing. With regard to the polysemy of sentir, the following questions were addressed: (1) What is the prototype of each cluster of senses? (2) How are the different senses structured: how many senses should be distinguished – i.e. which senses cluster together and which senses should be kept separately? (3) Which senses are more related to each other and which are highly distinguishable? (4) What morphosyntactic variables make them more or less distinguishable? The results show that two significant meaning clusters can be distinguished, which coincide with the division between the middle voice uses (sentirse) and the other uses (sentir). Within these clusters, a number of meaningful subclusters emerge, which seem to coincide largely with the more general semantic categories of physical, cognitive and emotional perception

Copredication in homotopy type theory

This paper applies homotopy type theory to formal semantics of natural languages and proposes a new model for the linguistic phenomenon of copredication. Copredication refers to sentences where two predicates which assume different requirements for their arguments are asserted for one single entity, e.g., "the lunch was delicious but took forever". This paper is particularly concerned with copredication sentences with quantification, i.e., cases where the two predicates impose distinct criteria of quantification and individuation, e.g., "Fred picked up and mastered three books." In our solution developed in homotopy type theory and using the rule of existential closure following Heim analysis of indefinites, common nouns are modeled as identifications of their aspects using HoTT identity types, e.g., the common noun book is modeled as identifications of its physical and informational aspects. The previous treatments of copredication in systems of semantics which are based on simple type theory and dependent type theories make the correct predictions but at the expense of ad hoc extensions (e.g., partial functions, dot types and coercive subtyping). The model proposed here, also predicts the correct results but using a conceptually simpler foundation and no ad hoc extensions

Towards cognitively plausible data science in language research

Over the past 10 years, Cognitive Linguistics has taken a Quantitative Turn. Yet, concerns have been raised that this preoccupation with quantification and modelling may not bring us any closer to understanding how language works. We show that this objection is unfounded, especially if we rely on modelling techniques based on biologically and psychologically plausible learning algorithms. These make it possible to take a quantitative approach, while generating and testing specific hypotheses that will advance our understanding of how knowledge of language emerges from exposure to usage

WordNets mapped to Central Ontology

The deliverable describes the progress that has been made toward ontologizing the OntoWordNet with respect to the ontological meta properties of rigidity and non-rigidty, and the progress that has been made toward mapping the Dutch, English, and Italian wordnets onto OntoWordNet. We give a typology of wordnet to ontology mappings, and finally we provide a preliminary discussion of cross lingual rigidity validation within the context of the KYOTO framework

Can minimalism about truth embrace polysemy?

Paul Horwich is aware of the fact that his theory as stated in his works is directly applicable only to a language in which a word, understood as a syntactic type, is connected with exactly one literal meaning. Yet he claims that the theory is expandable to include homonymy and indexicality and thus may be considered as applicable to natural language. My concern in this paper is with yet another kind of ambiguity - systematic polysemy - that assigns multiple meanings to one linguistic type. I want to combine the characteristics of systematic polysemy with the Kaplanian insight that meanings of expressions may be defined by semantic rules which assign content in context and to ask the question if minimalism about truth and meaning is compatible with such rule-based systematic polysemy. I will first explain why the expressions that exhibit rule-based systematic polysemy are difficult to combine with a truth theory that is based on a use theory of meaning before proceeding to argue that indexicals and proper names are such expressions