Standpoint semantics for polysemy in spatial prepositions. (11th January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rodrigues, Edilson J; Santos, Paulo E; Lopes, Marcos; Bennett, Brandon; Oppenheimer, Paul E
• Is Part Of: Journal of logic and computation. Volume 30:Number 2(2020)
• Page Start: 635
• Page End: 661
• Publication Date: 2020-01-11
• Subjects: Supervaluation semantics -- spatial prepositions -- polysemy; Logic programming -- Periodicals; Logic, Symbolic and mathematical -- Periodicals; Computational complexity -- Periodicals; 005.115
• DOI: 10.1093/logcom/exz034
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0955-792X

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, we present a formalism for handling polysemy in spatial expressions based on supervaluation semantics called standpoint semantics for polysemy (SSP). The goal of this formalism is, given a prepositional phrase, to define its possible spatial interpretations. For this, we propose to characterize spatial prepositions by means of a triplet $\langle $ image schema, semantic feature, spatial axis$\rangle $ . The core of SSP is predicate grounding theories, which are formulas of a first-order language that define a spatial preposition through the semantic features of its trajector and landmark. Precisifications are also established, which are a set of formulae of a qualitative spatial reasoning formalism that aims to provide the spatial characterization of the trajector with respect to the landmark. In addition to the theoretical model, we also present results of a computational implementation of SSP for the preposition 'in'.