GSLT, September 15th 2004 1
French prepositional
compounds
Cecilia HemmingDepartment of Languages, University College of Skövde
Swedish National Graduate School of Language Technology
GSLT, September 15th 2004 2
Outline Introduction Intuition – ideas Method Language specific term patterns Language independent concepts Problems Further work
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Introduction Neologisms in technical domains
New technology and products – new terminology Term = linguistic sign = signifiant et signifié (Saussure) Term production patterns
ISO 1087 Vocabulary of Terminology Term: Designation of a defined concept in a special language
by a linguistic expression. Concept: A unit of thought constituted through abstraction on
the basis of properties common to a set of objects.
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Production Patterns Language specific production patterns
morphosyntax for French terms Noun Adj Noun Noun Noun Prep Noun Noun Prep Det Noun Noun à Verb(inf) Verb-Noun
...
Swedish noun+noun -> French noun prep noun/verb Swedish noun2(compl)+noun1(head) -> French noun1 prep noun2
oljepump # pompe à huile (oil pump) bränsleledning # conduite de carburant (fuel pipe)
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Production Patterns Semantics of the terms
concepts plåt # tôle (plate) [material] ventil # robinet (valve) [part] …
relationships plåtskiva # disque de tôle (plate disc) [made-of] bromsventil # robinet de frein (brake valve) [part-of] …
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Intuition – Idea 1In MT and MAHT
Knowledge reuse in: Dictionnaires Terminology Databases Translation Memories
Lacking information of a certain term?
syntactic and semantic analyses of equivalent terms in different languages
plausible translation suggestions (in accordance with the TL production patterns)
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Intuition – Idea 2 (Wüster) Another way of defining Concept (independent of term)
a unit of different characteristics common to a certain number of people Structure knowledge in special domains
by pointing to differences and similarities between concepts connected to the terms within that domain
[parts of brake system]bromspedal # pédale de frein [operation device]bromsrör # tuyau de frein [leading brake fluid]
Disagreement: language independent concept grouping in general language (all concepts not present in all L)
Concepts in technical designation: truly language independent
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Limitations Limitation 1:
To begin with: terms denoting concrete objects Limitation 2:
French patterns: noun + preposition + noun*
noun + preposition + verb
with à and de
*In patterns, treat complex complements as a unit
bakhjulsbroms # frein de roue arrière (rear wheel brake)
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Method Extraction of term patterns
Swedish-French parallel text corpus ”Scania95”
(manuals)
3500 terms with a noun + preposition + noun/verb-pattern
Semantic classification (concepts / relations) both Swedish and French terms material, part, container… / made-of, part-of, contains…
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Concepts Compound nominal semantics
HEAD concept + COMPLEMENT conceptbränsletank # réservoir à carburant (fuel tank)
[liquid] [container]
Semantic relation Relation between head and complement
HEAD[container] contains COMPL[liquid]réservoir à carburant
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Method Compare patterns of the two languages
morphosyntax: noun2+noun1 -> noun1 à noun2
compl head head compl
semantics: (complement expresses) Swe[location of HEAD] -> Fre[location of HEAD] …?? Swe[form of HEAD] -> Fre[form of HEAD] …??
bakfjäderbult # etoquiau de ressort arrière (rear spring bolt)
kronmutter # écrou à créneaux (turret nut)
bil-/säkerhets-bälte # ceinture de sécurité (safety belt)
Find regularities and differences in patterns
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Method Tag terms semantically semiautomatically/for hand
concepts and relations between head and complement complement expresses:
Part(s) for which HEAD is intended: batterilåda # coffre à batteries (battery box) kolvringstång # pince à segments (piston ring pliers)
Form of HEAD: bladfjäder # ressort à lame (plate spring) haknyckel # clé à ergot (hook spanner)
…
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Method 2 ML-technics
Learn transfer rules from positive examples (??) Swe compl(Material)head(Item)[made-of] ->
Fre head(Item)-de-compl(Material)[made-of] plåtremsa # bande de tôle (strip plate)
Swe compl(Form)head(Item)[feature] ->Fre head(Item)-à-compl(Form)[feature]
flänsmutter # écrou à embase (flanged nut)
teadious tagging – writing rules directly instead??
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Semantics (Riegel, Pellat & Rioul) DE
[origin], [material], [cause], [container], [Part of], [constitution]
A [destination], [characteristic], [localization]
Brøndal, Cervoni, Järborg, Spang-Hansen…
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Conceptgroups noun de noun (1500 in the
Scania corpus) De (1500 terms of 3500 n-prep-n in the Scania corpus)
1. Substance, liquid, gas, material for which HEAD is intended (COMPL[content] HEAD [exteriority]) alkoholinjektor # injecteur d'alcool, avgasledning # tuyau d'échappement (exhaust pipe) bränslekammare # chambre de combustible (fuel chamber)
2. Substance, matter, materal of HEAD (COMPL[material] HEAD[noun] aluminiumlegering # alliage d'aluminium (Al alligation)
3. Complements for which HEAD is a unit (COMPL[constitution] HEAD[unit]) brickfjäderpaket # pile de rondelles élastiques (coaster board packet)
4. Object for which HEAD is intended 5. Location for which HEAD is intended (COMPL[location] HEAD[noun])
bakhjulsnav # moyeu de roue arrière (rear hub)6. The function of HEAD (COMPL[function] HEAD[noun])
anslutningskabel # câble de connexion (connection cable)7. Activity for which HEAD is intended (COMPL[activity] HEAD[ channel for]
avtappningskran # robinet de vidange (drain cock) avlastningsskruv # vis de desserrage (unloading screw)
8. The form or construction of HEAD bladmått # jauge d'épaisseur (thickness gauge)
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Conceptgroups noun à noun/verb (200 in the Scania corpus) A (200 terms of 3500 n-prep-n in the corpus)
1. Substance, liquid, material for which HEAD is intended [HEAD container] alkoholbehållare # réservoir à alcool
2. Object(s)/part(s) for which HEAD is intended [HEAD for object] kolvringstång # pince à segments (p r pliers)
3. Purpose of HEAD [HEAD purpose] glödstift # bougie à incandescence (heater plug) kapskiva # meule à tronçonner (slitting wheel) plomberingstång # pince à plomber (lead sealing pliers)
4. HEAD’s range of application [HEAD application] brandsläckare # extincteur à incendie (fire-extinguisher)
5. Form or construction of HEAD [HEAD construction] flatstiftkontakt # connecteur à languettes (flat pin connector) tolvkantshylsa # douille à 12 pans (..socket)
6. How HEAD functions [HEAD functioning] sugmotor # moteur à aspiration naturelle (aspirating engine) hamrande mutterdragare # boulonneuse à chocs (...nut runner)
7. By which mean HEAD is controlled [HEAD controlled by] handgas # accélérateur à main (hand accelerator)
8. How HEAD is controlled [HEAD controll manner] slagverktyg # outil à frapper (striking tool)
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Interesting Problems How to choose preposition:
avgasrör # tuyau d'échappement
bränslerör # tube à carburant (exhaust-/fuel pipe)
bränslekammare # chambre de combustible bränsletank # réservoir à carburant(fuel- chamber/tank)
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Suggestions 1
Kaffekopp # tasse à café[container (for coffee)]
Kaffekopp # tasse de café[channel (conveys coffee)]
alkoholbehållare # réservoir à alcool [container] alkoholinjektor # injecteur d'alcool [channel]
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Choose preposition avgasrör # tuyauterie d'échappement avgasrör # conduite d'échappement avgasrör # tubulure d'échappementbränslerör # tuyau d’alimentation(exhaust-/fuel pipe)
bränslerör # tube à carburantbränslekran # robinet de carburant(fuel cock)
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Suggestions 2 bränslerör # tuyau d’alimentation [exteriority] bränslerör # tube à carburant [destination]
tuyau/tuyauterie/conduite/tubulure (HEAD[exteriority])échappement/alimentation (deverbal noun COMPL[purpose])
tube [destination]carburant (substance, liquid, material [content])
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More Problems, different concepts How HEAD functions [HEAD functioning]
slagverktyg (striking tool)
slag------verktyg
Swe compl(Functioning)head(Item) Fre head(Y)-à-functioningVerb(X)
outil------------ à ---------- frapper
slagverktyg # outil à frapper (outil à frapper)
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different concepts skjutmått (sliding caliper)
skjut------mått
Swe functioning(X)head(Y) Fre head(Y)-à-functioningVerb(X)
pied------------ à ---------- pousser
skjutmått # pied à pousser/faire glisser?? (pied à coulisse!!) gliding
device
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Further work Extracting a wild web corpus from different
technical domains
(Oz, Perl scripts and E. Dura’s Lexware)
Compare the results from the Scania corpus
Implement translation suggestion code
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I would appreciate comments and suggestions
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Thank You for listening!