LEXICAL SEMANTICS
- Lexical Semantics: the semantic structure associated
with a word, as represented in the lexicon.
- Taxonomy: orderly classification of words
according to their presumed natural relationships.
- Examples:
- Is-A Taxonomy: a crow is a bird.
- Has-a Taxonomy: a car has a windshield.
- Action-Instrument: a knife can cut.
- Words can appear in many relations and have multiple meanings and uses.
- There are no universally-accepted taxonomies:
Family |
Subtype |
Example |
Contrasts |
Contrary |
old-young |
Contradictory |
alive-dead |
Reverse |
buy-sell |
Directional |
front-back |
Incompatible |
happy-morbid |
Asymmetric contrary |
hot-cool |
Attribute similar |
rake-fork |
Case Relations |
Agent-action |
artist-paint |
Agent-instrument |
farmer-tractor |
Agent-object |
baker-bread |
Action-recipient |
sit-chair |
Action-instrument |
cut-knife |