Lexical Semantics
and
Knowledge Representation
Proceedings of a Workshop
Sponsored by the
Special Interest Group on the Lexicon
of the
Association for Computational Linguistics
Edited by
James Pustejovsky
and
Sabine Bergler
17 June 1991
© 1991, Association for Computational Linguistics
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Preface
The recent resurgence of interest in lexical semantics (LS) has brought many linguistic for- malisms closer to the knowledge representation (KR) languages utilized in AI. In fact, some for- malisms from computational linguistics are emerging which may be more expressive and formally better understood than many KR languages. Furthermore, the interests of computational linguists now extend to include areas previously thought beyond the scope of grammar and linguistics, such as commonsense knowledge, inheritance, default reasoning, collocational relations, and even do- main knowledge.
With such an extension of the purview of "linguistic" knowledge, the question emerges as to whether there is any logical justification for distinguishing between lexical semantics and world knowledge. The purpose of this workshop is to explore this question in detail, with papers ad- dressing the following points:
1. Possible methods for determining what is lexical knowledge and what is outside the scope of such knowledge.
2. Potential demonstrations that the inferences necessary for language understanding are no different from supposed non-linguistic inferences.
3. Arguments from language acquisition and general concept development. 4. Cross-linguistic evidence for the specificity of lexical semantic representations.
5. Philosophical arguments for the (impossibility of the) autonomy of lexical knowledge. 6. Theoretical approaches and implemented systems that combine lexical and non-lexical knowl-
edge.
The current volume contains the written versions of the papers and panel positions presented at the (first) workshop on Lezical Semantics and Knowledge Representation, held at the University of California, Berkeley, on June 17, 1991, in conjunction with the meeting of the 29th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics.
J a m e s P u s t e j o v s k y Chair, Program Committee
Acknowledgements
The organization of a special interest group within the ACL on the lexicon (SIGLEX), has occasioned the sponsoring of workshops such as the one presented here. There are many people to thank for making this workshop possible, and for helping to see the proceedings out the door. Special thanks must first go to Don Walker and the executive committee of the ACL for making SIGLEX O~iCial. Secondly, I would like to thank the other members of the program committee, Bran Boguraev, Ulrich Heid, Peter Norvig, and Robert Wilensky, for organizational and reviewing help. I would also like to thank Sabine Bergler for extensive help with preparing the manuscripts for publication. Finally, Peter Norvig and his staff deserve particular mention, for procuring the room, food services, and other local arrangements.
L E X I C A L S E M A N T I C S A N D K N O W L E D G E R E P R E S E N T A T I O N
17 June 1991 University of California Berkeley, California, USA
A workshop sponsored by the
Special Interest Group on the Lexicon (SIGLEX) of the
Association for Computational Linguistics
F I N A L P R O G R A M
O p e n i n g session (chair: James Pustejovsky) 9:00-9:10 Opening statement (JP)
9:10-9:40 K e y n o t e address: Knowledge Representation and Knowledge of Words
Richmond Thomason 9:40-9:55 discussion
Session 1 (chair: James Pustejovsky)
9:55-10:15 Syntaz-Driven and Ontology-Driven Lezical Semantics
Sergei Nirenburg and Lori Levin
10:15-10:35 Knowledge Management for Terminology-Intensive Applications: Needs and Tools
Ingrid Meyer
10:35-10:55 Interpretation without Semantics
Stephen Helmreich
10:55-11:10 coffee break
Session 2 (chair: Robert Wilensky)
11:10-11:30 Logical Structures in the Lezicon
John Sows
11:30-11:50 Conventional Metaphor and the Lezicon
James Martin
11:50-12:10 Representation of Semantic Knowledge wflh Term Subsumption Language
Gerrit Burkert and Peter Forster
12:10- 2:00 lunch
Session $ (chair: Peter Norvig)
2:00- 2:20 Predictable Meaning Shifts: Some Linguistic Properties of Lezical Implication Rules
Nicholas Ostler and B.T.S. Atkins
2:20- 2:40 Lezical Operations in a Unification-based Framework
Ann Copestake and Ted Briscoe
2:40- 3:00 Lezical Structures for Linguistic Inference
Peter Anick and Sabine Bergler
3:00- 3:20 In So Many Words: Knowledge as a Lezical Phenomenon
Willem Meijs and Piek Vossen
3:20- 3:35 coffee break
Session 4 (chair: Bran Boguraev)
3:35- 3:55 Redefining the 'Level' of the 'Word'
Melissa Macpherson
3:55- 4:15 Semantic Emphasis and the Structure of Verb Fields
Juergen Kunle
4:15- 4:35 Lezical and World Knowledge: Theoretical and Applied Viewpoints
John White
4:35- 4:55 Aspectual Requirements of Temporal Connectives: Evidence for a Two- level Approach to Semantics
Michael Herweg
4:55- 5:10 coffee break
Session 5 (chair: James Pustejovsky)
5:10- 6:30 R o u n d t a b l e Discussion: Acquisition and Reusability of Lezical and World Knowledge
Martha Evens, Nicoletta Calzolari, Martha Palmer, Eiji ¥okota, Tomoyoshi Matsukawa 6:30- 6:50 discussion
6:50- 7:00 closing (JP)
Alternate Papers:
Presupposition and Default Reasoning: A Study in Lezical Pragmatics
Robert Mercer
Lezicon, Ontology, and Tezt Meaning
Boyan Onyshkevych and Sergei Nirenburg
A Two-Level Knowledge Representation for Machine Translation: Lezical Semantics and Tense/Aspect
Bonnie Dorr
The Autonomy of Shallow Lezical Knowledge
Kathleen Dahlgren
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Preface
J a m e s P u s t e j o v s k y . . . iii Knowledge Representation and Knowledge of Words
R i c h m o n d T h o m a s o n . . . 1 Syntaz-Driven and Ontology-Driven Lezical Semantics
S e r g e i N i r e n b u r g a n d L o r i L e v i n . . . 9 Knowledge Management for Terminology-Intensive Applications: Needs and Tools
I n g r i d M e y e r . . . 20 Interpretation without Semantics
S t e p h e n H e l m r e i c h . . . 34 Logical Structures in the Lezicon
J o h n S o w s . . . 38 Conventional Metaphor and the Lezicon
J a m e s M a r t i n . . . 56 Representation of Semantic Knowledge with Term Subsumption Language
G e r r i t B u r k e r t a n d P e t e r F o r s t e r . . . 67 Predictable Meaning Shifts: Some Linguistic Properties of Lezical Implication Rules
N i c h o l a s O s t l e r a n d B . T . S . A t k i n s . . . 76 Lezical Operations in a Unification-based Framework
A n n C o p e s t a k e a n d T e d B r i s c o e . . . 88 Lezical Structures for Linguistic Inference
P e t e r A n i c k a n d S a b i n e B e r g l e r . . . 102 In So Many Words: Knowledge as a Lezieal Phenomenon
W i l l e m M e i j s a n d P i e k V o s s e n . . . 113
Redefining the 'Level' of the 'Word'
M e l i s s a M a c p h e r s o n . . . 127 Lezical and World Knowledge: Theoretical and Applied Viewpoints
J o h n W h i t e . . . 139 Aspectual Requirements of Temporal Connectives: Evidence for a Two-level Approach to Semantics
M i c h a e l H e r w e g . . . 152 A Model for the Interaction of Lezical and Non-lezical Knowledge in the Determination of
Word Meaning
P e t e r G e r s t l . . . 165 For the Lezicon that has Everything
M a r t h a E v e n s , J o a n n e D a x d a i n e , Y u - F e n H u a n g , S u n M Li, J u d i t h M a r k o w i t z , F r a n k R i - 179 n a l d o , M a r g i R i n a l d o , R o b e r t S t r u t z . . .
Acquiring and Representing Semantic Information in a Lezieal Knowledge Base
N i c o l e t t a C a l z o l a r i . . . 188 General Lezical Representation for an Effect Predicate
M a r t h a P a l m e r . . . 198 Development of the Concept Dictionary: Implementation of Lezical Knowledge
T o m o y o s h i M a t s u k a w a a n d E i j i Y o k o t a . . . 206 Presupposition and Default Reasoning: A Study in Lezical Pragmaties
R o b e r t M e r c e r . . . 224 Lezicon, Ontology, and Tezt Meaning
B o y a n O n y s h k e v y c h a n d S e r g e i N i r e n b u r g . . . 238 A Two-Level Knowledge Representation for Machine Translation: Lezical Semantics and
Tense/Aspect
B o n n i e D o r r . . . 250 The Autonomy of Shallow Lezical Knowledge
K a t l d e e n D a h l g r e n . . . 264
