Computing Implicit Entities and Events with GETARUNS

Abstract

In this paper we will focus on the notion of “implicit” or lexically unexpressed linguistic elements that are nonetheless necessary for a complete semantic interpretation of a text. We referred to “entities” and “events” because the recovery of the implicit material may affect all the modules of a system for semantic processing, from the grammatically guided components to the inferential and reasoning ones. Reference to the system GETARUNS offers one possible implementation of the algorithms and procedures needed to cope with the problem and allows to deal with all the spectrum of phenomena. The paper will address at first the following three types of “implicit” entities and events: the grammatical ones, as suggested by a linguistic theories like LFG or similar generative theories; the semantic ones suggested in the FrameNet project, i.e. CNI, DNI, INI; the pragmatic ones: here we will present a theory and an implementation for the recovery of implicit entities and events of (non-) standard implicatures. In particular we will show how the use of commonsense knowledge may fruitfully contribute in finding relevant implied meanings. Last Implicit Entity only touched on, though for lack of space, by the paper is the Subject of Point of View which is computed by Semantic Informational Structure and contributes the intended entity from whose point of view is expressed a given subjective statement.