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On Semantic Classification of Modifiers

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Natural Language Processing and Information Systems (NLDB 2002)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 2553))

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Abstract

To search a large dictionary for a collocation expressing a desired meaning, the human reader needs some kind of hierarchical structure that would facilitate such search. In this paper, fragments of semantic classification of modifiers are elaborated based on several highly modifier-productive nouns, namely, common nouns person, action, look, corporation, and price, as well the terms coating, medium, and check. By modifiers meant are adjectives, participles, or preposition phrases syntactically dependent on the nouns. The classification rubrics proved to be heavily dependent on the modified headword noun and are representative fragments of a Roget-like thesaurus. It is shown that the modifiers under consideration are rather selective in their use, similarly to standard lexical functions (LFs) by Mel'čuk, while for many nouns LFs can be absent. The obtained classification rubrics can be used for other English nouns and for other languages. Some deficiencies of the proposed rubrics are discussed.

Work done under partial support of the Mexican Government (CONACyT), CGEPI-IPN, and SNI, Mexico.

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© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Bolshakov, I.A., Gelbukh, A. (2002). On Semantic Classification of Modifiers. In: Andersson, B., Bergholtz, M., Johannesson, P. (eds) Natural Language Processing and Information Systems. NLDB 2002. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2553. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36271-1_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36271-1_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-00307-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-36271-5

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