Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computational Semantics - Short Papers

Abstract

We explore a novel application for interpreting semantic type coercions, motivated by insight into the role that perceptual affordances play in the selection of artefactual nouns that are observed as arguments for verbs that would stereotypically select for objects of a different type. In order to simulate affordances, which we take to be direct perceptions of context-specific opportunities for action, we perform a distributional analysis of dependency relationships between target words and their modifiers and adjuncts. We propose a novel methodology that uses these relationships as the basis for generating on-line transformations projecting semantic subspaces in which the interpretations of coercive compositions are expected to emerge as salient word-vectors. We offer some preliminary examples of how this model operates on phrases involving coercive verb-object interactions. sell create sell sell order take take drink take take produce milk produce produce take give give take give drink produce include produce give take take take give take take drink serve get give take give give finish serve get get buy order eat eat eat include eat order sandwich serve sell create get sell include take offer get give serve offer take take eat give eat give cake eat eat create take take take win produce take include give produce win create create include create create dessert serve produce eat call eat produce eat prepare play play call include take wear wear include wear produce glass produce take read give take take read produce drink take give give take take drink give take produce bottle finish produce take take give give produce drink give find keep take build take drive take take build