Piek Vossen

EuroWordNet: a multilingual database with lexical semantic networks

Introduction to EuroWordNet P. Vossen. The Linguistic Design of the EuroWordNet Database A. Alonge, et al. Compatibility in Interpretation of Relations in EuroWordNet P. Vossen, et al. A Semantic Network of English: The Mother of All WordNets C. Fellbaum. Cross-Linguistic Alignment of Wordnets with an Inter-Lingual-Index W. Peters, et al.

Introduction to EuroWordNet

This paper gives a global introduction to the aims and objectives of the EuroWordNet project, and it provides a general framework for the other papers in this volume. EuroWordNet is an EC project that develops a multilingual database with wordnets in several European languages, structured along the same lines as the Princeton WordNet. Each wordnet represents an autonomous structure of language-specific lexicalizations, which are interconnected via an Inter-Lingual-Index. The wordnets are built at different sites from existing resources, starting from a shared level of basic concepts and extended top-down. The results will be publicly available and will be tested in cross-language information retrieval applications.

The linguistic design of the EuroWordNet database

In this paper the linguistic design of the database under construction within the EuroWordNet project is described. This is mainly structured along the same lines as the Princeton WordNet, although some changes have been made to the WordNet overall design due to both theoretical and practical reasons. The most important reasons for such changes are the multilinguality of the EuroWordNet database and the fact that it is intended to be used in Language Engineering applications. Thus, i) some relations have been added to those identified in WordNet; ii) some labels have been identified which can be added to the relations in order to make their implications more explicit and precise; iii) some relations, already present in the WordNet design, have been modified in order to specify their role more clearly.

Acquisition of lexical translation relations from MRDS

In this paper we present a methodology for extracting information about lexical translation equivalences from the machine readable versions of conventional dictionaries (MRDs), and describe a series of experiments on semi-automatic construction of a linked multilinguallexical knowledge base for English, Dutch, and Spanish. We discuss the advantages and limitations of using MRDs that this has revealed, and some strategies we have developed to cover gaps where no direct translation can be found.

Cross-linguistic alignment of wordnets with an inter-lingual-index

This paper discusses the design of the EuroWordNet database, in which semantic databases like WordNet1.5 for several languages are combined via a so-called inter-lingual-index. In this database, language-independent data is shared whilst language-specific properties are maintained. A special interface has been developed to compare the semantic configurations across languages and to track down differences.

Compatibility in interpretation of relations in EuroWordNet

This paper describes how the Euro WordNet project established a maximum level of consensus in the interpretation of relations, without loosing the possibility of encoding language-specific lexicalizations. Problematic cases arise due to the fact that each site re-used different resources and because the core vocabulary of the wordnets show complex properties. Many of these cases are discussed with respect to language internal and equivalence relations. Possible solutions are given in the form of additional criteria.