Semantic fields and semantic relations

The simplest kind of generalisation assigns entities to the same set on the basis of their similarities. In semantics, this kind of generalisation is known as a semantic field. A lexical semantic field is, in the simplest case, a set of words which have similar meanings.

Semantic fields may also have complex paradigmatic and syntagmatic structures, and stand in complex paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations to other fields.

In abstract terms:

• Complex paradigmatic structures involve the inclusion of one set within another, the overlapping of sets, or disjoint sets. Recall that paradigmatic structures involve similarity relations such as hyponymy and hyperonymy, antonymy, synonymy.
• Complex syntagmatic structures involve items which constitute larger items. Recall that syntagmatic structures involve frame-like contextual properties of words.

Tasks:

1. Find out when and where Chomsky introduced the distinction between the observational adequacy, descriptive adequacy and explanatory adequacy of theories, and how he defined these terms.
2. Research the concept of semantic field, searching for definitions.
3. Create an example of a semantic field with complex structure, using examples both from your own intuition and from a corpus.
4. How do implicational generalisations figure in your semantic field example? (If they don't, they should...)
5. What is a taxonomy? What is a meronomy (sometimes: mereonomy)? What is "an ontology" (as opposed to ontology as a philosophical discipline)?
6. Why is a relation a special kind of set? (This one is for students with some formal training in general linguistics or mathematics!)