Towards a Type-Theoretical Account of Lexical Semantics

After a quick overview of the field of study known as “Lexical Semantics”, where we advocate the need of accessing additional information besides syntax and Montaguestyle semantics at the lexical level in order to complete the full analysis of an utterance, we summarize the current formulations of a well-known theory of that field. We then propose and justify our own model of the Generative Lexicon Theory, based upon a variation of classical compositional semantics, and outline its formalization. Additionally, we discuss the theoretical place of informational, knowledge-related data supposed to exist within the lexicon as well as within discourse and other linguistic constructs. The formalization of the structure of natural language utterances around a surface form (phenogrammatics), a deep structure (tectogrammatics) and the meaning thereof as a logical form (semantics) has developed from the original theories of Curry and Montague to form coherent, type-driven models. Most of t...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: JOLLI
• Authors: Christian Bassac, Bruno Mery, Christian Retoré
• Keywords: Generative Lexicon Theory, JOLLI 2010, Lexical Semantics, Semantic