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Lexical databases as resources for linguistic creativity: Focus on metaphor

Lexical databases as resources for linguistic creativity: Focus on metaphor. Birte Lönneker University of Hamburg, Germany Research Center of the Slovenian Academy, Ljubljana. Introduction. Metaphor is a form of linguistic creativity: the more novel, the more creative

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Lexical databases as resources for linguistic creativity: Focus on metaphor

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  1. Lexical databases as resources for linguistic creativity: Focus on metaphor Birte Lönneker University of Hamburg, Germany Research Center of the Slovenian Academy, Ljubljana LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  2. Introduction • Metaphor is a form of linguistic creativity: the more novel, the more creative • There are several types of novel metaphors • Novel metaphors are rare • By studying conventionalized metaphors and their novel extensions, we can learn more about creative metaphors LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  3. A conceptual metaphor CHANGE IS MOTION • Conventional lexical metaphors illustrate the metaphorical mapping: • The Financial Times 30-share index tumbled34.9 to [...]. • [...] profit margins fellto 3.9% from 5.8% a year earlier, as general expenses soarednearly sevenfold. • [...], service-industry employment roseabout 200,000, against a 2.7 million dropin goods-producing jobs. Change abstract size Change physical location LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  4. Systems for textunderstanding and generation need knowledge resources “general expenses soared” to soar1 [SUBJ: airplane, flying object] to soar2 [SUBJ: abstract entity (with location on abstract scale)] LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  5. Lexical databases as resources Questions: • To which extent do current lexical databases provide information on conventional metaphor? (... which is creatively extensible) • Which representation structures • do exist? • are still needed? LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  6. Examples of lexical databases • Princeton WordNet: English, ongoing • WN 2.0: 115,000 concepts • free! • EuroWordNet: eight European languages • ca. 15,000 concepts for German • ca. 23,000 concepts for French • available from ELRA/ELDA LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  7. Synsetsare sets of synonyms or near-synonyms referring to the same concept, e.g. {tumble, topple} (the concept of ‘fallingdown, as if collapsing’) Relationscharacterize the way in which two synsets are connected,e.g. {tumble, topple} HAS_HYPERONYM {descend, fall, go down, come down} WordNet structuring principles LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  8. MOTION CHANGE Lexical Metaphors in WordNet 2.0 ANTONYMY {travel, go, move, locomote} {change magnitude} {descend, fall, go down, come down} {decrease, diminish, lessen, fall} ANTONYMY {decline, go down, wane} {tumble, topple} {drop} {drop} {tumble} {rise, lift, arise, move up, go up, come up, uprise} {increase} {wax, mount, climb, rise} {soar, soar up, soar upwards, surge, zoom} [...] {soar}

  9. First consequences for knowledge-based systems • Knowledge Acquisition: • Lexical databases as resource for representing the structure of the source and target domain • Evaluation: • Reference to a common general lexical resource can facilitate the comparison of different systems that deal with metaphor. LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  10. The Hamburg Metaphor Database • Currently, wordnets do not directly relate conceptual domains that underly metaphoricity. • The mapping is reflected only indirectly by parallel polysemy (if at all). • Aim of the Hamburg Metaphor Database: Study how information on metaphors could better be represented in Wordnets LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  11. Hamburg Metaphor Database Resources • Corpora: Collected for Master Theses • Languages: German and French • Lexical database: EuroWordNet in German and French • Domain names: Free list of conceptual domains and mappings (Lakoff et al. 1991) LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  12. Hamburg Metaphor Database Methodology • Identify metaphorically used word in corpus texts • Enter corpus context (sentence, phrase) • Annotate the lexical metaphor with • synset information from EuroWordNet • domain information from metaphor list • (additional) domain information in German LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  13. Hamburg Metaphor DatabaseExample LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  14. Case Study • Input: 22 results from the Hamburg Metaphor Database for the source domain BUILDING (BAUWERK) • Target domains: CREATING (ACTION), ORGANIZATION, ... • Lexical metaphors: e.g. architect, construction, debris, foundation, pillar LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  15. destroy create creator Representation of the BUILDING Source Domain in EuroWordNet {zerstören:1} {erschaffen:1 erzeugen:2 machen:5 schaffen:3} {créateur:1} INVOL- VED_ AGENT {zertrümmern:N in Trümmer legen:N} create {anfertigen:1 fabrizieren:1 fertigen:1 herstellen:3 ...} {créer:1 faire:13} INVOLVED_ RESULT architect debris {Architekt:1 ...} {architecte:1 designer:1 ...} {Trümmer:N} build XPOS_NEAR_ SYNONYM {bauen:2} {fabriquer:4 construire:2 ...} {créer:13 réaliser:3} {Aufbau:N} CO_ AGENT_ RESULT INVOLVED_ RESULT {bâtir:N ériger:1 élever:8 ...} foundation building part building {Fundament:1 Grundfeste:N} {Gebäudeteil:1} {élément de construction:1} {Gebäude:1} {édifice:1 ... construction:6} HAS_ MERO_ PART {Fassade:N} {Säule:N} {socle:N}

  16. More consequences for knowledge-based systems + • Much more relation types in EuroWordNet than in Princeton WordNet • Therefore, domain-internal relations can be denser -- • Polysemy not represented in EuroWordNet: for most lexemes, we find only literal meanings • Some relation types not sufficiently instantiated LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  17. Mapping • Relate central synset of source domain to corresponding concept in target domain • directly in lexical resource (EWN) • Target domain: same structure as source domain • Target domain: lexical items have attested or potential metaphorical meaning, • related to that of the central synset in the same way as in the source domain. LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

  18. destroy create creator {zerstören:1} {erschaffen:1 erzeugen:2 machen:5 schaffen:3} {créateur:1} INVOL- VED_ AGENT {zertrümmern:N in Trümmer legen:N} create {anfertigen:1 fabrizieren:1 fertigen:1 herstellen:3 ...} {créer:1 faire:13} INVOLVED_ RESULT architect debris {Architekt:1 ...} {architecte:1 designer:1 ...} {Trümmer:N} build XPOS_NEAR_ SYNONYM {bauen:2} {fabriquer:4 construire:2 ...} {créer:13 réaliser:3} The BUILDING Domain in EWN {Aufbau:N} CO_ AGENT_ RESULT INVOLVED_ RESULT {bâtir:N ériger:1 élever:8 ...} foundation building part building {Fundament:1 Grundfeste:N} {Gebäudeteil:1} {élément de construction:1} {Gebäude:1} {édifice:1 ... construction:6} HAS_ MERO_ PART {Fassade:N} {Säule:N} {socle:N} {…:N}

  19. Instead of a conclusion... Further topics: • Literal-figurative inconsistencies in current lexical databases! • World knowledge (relations) in lexical resources? • Your questions!? LREC 2004 Linguistic Creativity, 29 May 2004 @ Birte Lönneker

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