Re: Semantic lexicon, qualia and Pustejovsky

My original question was about the use of "qualia" to
define different kinds of definition.

- There is the "kind-of" definition, used for animals,
plants, geographical concepts etc (scientifical
taxonomy)
- There is the "usage" definition, used for artefacts
- There is the "function" definition, applying to
human (social) beings; this looks a little like the
"usage" definition. The usage of a can-opener is to
open cans, the function of a postman is to deliver
mail.
- There are probably other kinds of definition, and
I'm trying to have a general view over all of them.

--- Steg Belsky <draqonfayir@...> wrote:
> On Tuesday, March 30, 2004, at 05:55  AM, Herman
> Miller wrote:
> > Chris Palmer wrote:
> >> Philippe Caquant writes:
> >>> brought back a wide question to my mind: what is
> definition ?
> >>
> >> Maybe the definition of a word is all the
> contexts it can be used in.
> >
> > That's a good idea; it helps to distinguish words
> that otherwise have
> > identical meanings, like "woodchuck" and
> "groundhog".
> >
> > How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a
> woodchuck could chuck wood?
> > *How much wood would a groundhog chuck, if a
> groundhog could chuck
> > wood?
>
> Shouldn't that be:
>
> "How much ground would a groundhog hog, if a
> groundhog could hog
> ground?"
>
> ;-)

=====
Philippe Caquant

"High thoughts must have high language." (Aristophanes, Frogs)

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.
http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html