Roles and anchors of semantic situations
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André Włodarczyk
Abstract
Although neither theoretical nor computational linguists did provide sufficiently careful insight into the problem of semantic roles, recently some progress is being achieved in robotics (study of the simulation of human interaction), and mostly in multi-agent systems. Taking advantage of this motivation and applying it to the study of languages, I distinguish between various abstract ontological levels. Instead of using such concepts as agentive, objective, experiencer, etc., on the highest (generic) ontological level, I postulate generalised agents which are defined by the following ontological features, among others: (1) features of control (autonomy): goal and feedback, (2) features of emotion (character): desire and intention, (3) epistemic features (reason): belief and cognition, (4) communication features (language faculty): verbal and visual. In accordance with such ontological concepts, natural and artificial entities are obviously suited to fulfil the semantic roles of agents and figures respectively in the widest sense of these terms. I further propose to distinguish between three classes of generic ontological roles, namely active, median or passive. Here are examples of generic roles: (1) active role (Initiator, Causer, Enabler, Benefactor, Executor, Stimulant, Source, Instigator etc.), (2) passiverole (Terminator, Affect, Enabled, Beneficient, Executed, Experiencer, Goal, etc.) and (3) medianrole (Mediator, Instrument, Benefit, Motor, Means etc.). Figures can play quasi-active (Q-active) roles.
Abstract
Although neither theoretical nor computational linguists did provide sufficiently careful insight into the problem of semantic roles, recently some progress is being achieved in robotics (study of the simulation of human interaction), and mostly in multi-agent systems. Taking advantage of this motivation and applying it to the study of languages, I distinguish between various abstract ontological levels. Instead of using such concepts as agentive, objective, experiencer, etc., on the highest (generic) ontological level, I postulate generalised agents which are defined by the following ontological features, among others: (1) features of control (autonomy): goal and feedback, (2) features of emotion (character): desire and intention, (3) epistemic features (reason): belief and cognition, (4) communication features (language faculty): verbal and visual. In accordance with such ontological concepts, natural and artificial entities are obviously suited to fulfil the semantic roles of agents and figures respectively in the widest sense of these terms. I further propose to distinguish between three classes of generic ontological roles, namely active, median or passive. Here are examples of generic roles: (1) active role (Initiator, Causer, Enabler, Benefactor, Executor, Stimulant, Source, Instigator etc.), (2) passiverole (Terminator, Affect, Enabled, Beneficient, Executed, Experiencer, Goal, etc.) and (3) medianrole (Mediator, Instrument, Benefit, Motor, Means etc.). Figures can play quasi-active (Q-active) roles.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction ix
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Part 1. Associative semantics and meta-informative centering
- Roles and anchors of semantic situations 3
- Frames of semantic situations 21
- Grounding of the meta-informative status of utterances 41
- Attention-centered information in language 59
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Part 2. Neuropsychological evidence for the MIC theory
- Semantic and episodic memory by reference to the ontological grounding of the old and new meta-informative status 103
- Tracing the role of memory and attention for the meta-informative validation of utterances 121
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Part 3. Meta-informative centering in languages
- It -clefts in the meta-informative structure of the utterance in Modern and Present-day English 145
- Discourse coherence and referent identification of subject ellipsis in Japanese 167
- Structure of centre of attention in a multi-party conversation in Japanese 183
- Verbal aspect in Slavic languages between semantics and pragmatics 193
- The position in the utterance and the melodic realisation of object and reflexive pronouns in classical modern literary Russian 231
- Accented and unaccented pronouns in Ancient Greek 259
- Personal subject pronouns and the meta-informative centering of utterances in classical Latin 285
- Glossary of defined terminology 297
- Index 303
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction ix
-
Part 1. Associative semantics and meta-informative centering
- Roles and anchors of semantic situations 3
- Frames of semantic situations 21
- Grounding of the meta-informative status of utterances 41
- Attention-centered information in language 59
-
Part 2. Neuropsychological evidence for the MIC theory
- Semantic and episodic memory by reference to the ontological grounding of the old and new meta-informative status 103
- Tracing the role of memory and attention for the meta-informative validation of utterances 121
-
Part 3. Meta-informative centering in languages
- It -clefts in the meta-informative structure of the utterance in Modern and Present-day English 145
- Discourse coherence and referent identification of subject ellipsis in Japanese 167
- Structure of centre of attention in a multi-party conversation in Japanese 183
- Verbal aspect in Slavic languages between semantics and pragmatics 193
- The position in the utterance and the melodic realisation of object and reflexive pronouns in classical modern literary Russian 231
- Accented and unaccented pronouns in Ancient Greek 259
- Personal subject pronouns and the meta-informative centering of utterances in classical Latin 285
- Glossary of defined terminology 297
- Index 303
