Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
2.4 Semantic Categorisation
Semantic categorisation is important for the analysis of the content and meaning
present in data sets. The most widely used type of semantic analysis is lexical
analysis, in which the structure of the word is used to describe it together with the
content this word carries. This is why the correct assignment of the word to the
language, which becomes the basis and the pattern of the analysis conducted is ex-
tremely important in the entire analysis process.
In semantic analysis processes, an important role is played by the time during
which it is checked whether the given case is a representative (a member) of a
specific category, or not. The meaning of the lexical concept is represented by
specific semantic features which play a primary role or define the meaning of the
word (Figure 2.17).
Fig. 2.17.
The process of identifying a member of a given category
The meaning of the analysed word, which in the semantic analysis may relate
to the description of basic aspects of the meaning of this word constituting the set
of defining features making it possible to identify the semantic features, also helps
to extract the characteristic aspects of the meaning of the analysed word. These
aspects are called characteristic features, and just as defining features, they con-
tribute to identifying the semantic features of the word. Both the characteristic and
the defining features become the foundation for conducting the analysis process
which leads to identifying similarities between the analysed word and the category
to which it belongs. At this stage, similarities are found between the characteristic
aspects of the meaning of the given word and the category to which it belongs, and
between the primary aspects of the meaning of the analysed word and its associ-
ated category. The result of this action is an analysis of the consistency of defining
features, which ends in specifying the semantic features of a given word represent-
ing lexical concepts, which concepts are in turn used to identify the semantic cate-
gory to which it belongs.
The language and the forms for describing the meaning of a word are not suffi-
cient to conduct an in-depth analysis because they do not in themselves have a
