A logical typology for nominal compounds

Abstract

Semantic analysis of nominal compounds includes characterizing the semantic relationships implicit among the separate elements of nominal compounds. This thesis presents a typology for nominal compound that classifies the binary relationships implicit in nominal compounds according to their status with regard to the logical properties of transitivity and symmetry. Employing theorems from modal logic, the categories of this logical typology assist in descriptively characterizing the semantics of nominal compounds by supporting inferences concerning the sharing of properties between objects related within nominal compounds. The individual categories of the logical typology are detailed as well as the types of inferences each category supports, but actual inferences about the sharing of properties between related objects cannot be made without a general knowledge data base containing information regarding the attributes of related objects. This thesis additionally describes an implemented computer system that classifies nominal compounds in the categories of the logical typology on the basis of syntactic information concerning the nominals and the taxonomic types of their referents.