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audiovisual text or corpus (The one exception to this rule is a content analysis form
which offers the analyst the option of freely selecting from the entire ASW
vocabulary of conceptual terms defining analytical objects those he needs in order to
define his topical structure). On the other hand, these three conceptual terms are
essential for the actual taxonomic structure of the meta-lexicon.
While still remaining “faithful” to our theoretical and practical framework for
describing audiovisual corpora, the choice of the conceptual terms from the canonic
base of the vocabulary of conceptual terms defining analytical objects in the
ASW universe of discourse is based on certain formal ontologies (known as top
level ontologies), which include, specifically, the DOLCE (
DescriptiveOntology for
Linguistic and Cognitive Engineering
) ontology
6
. Although the vocabulary of
conceptual terms representing analytical objects in the ASW universe of discourse
does not contain a “carbon copy” of the basic categories of the DOLCE ontology, as
Figure 12.2 shows, certain basic conceptual terms refer directly to the work of
N. Guarino and her team.
Thus (see Figure 12.2), we have lifted the distinction between conceptual terms
belonging to the branch [Object “Endurant”] and those belonging to the branch
[Object “Perdurant”]. This distinction, which is amply described, discussed and
formalized in the existing body of specialist literature (see e.g. [MAS 03]), is
“echoed” at the descriptive level in the distinction drawn in structural
semiotics*
between:
‒
objects
and
entities
, as well as groupings of them into more complex
structures;
‒
and
processes
and
practices
or indeed
situations
and
states
(in the sense of
state of action) which perpetuate over time.
As we shall see further on, this seemingly so categorical distinction is highly
abstract, and can sometimes become difficult to handle when attempting to
categorize conceptual terms which have a true descriptive value and a concrete
impact on the task of analysis.
The third basic conceptual term - [Object “Region”] - is also inspired by the
DOLCE ontology. Under the umbrella of the conceptual term [Object “Region”], we
in fact classify all the terms which express the concept of expanses and locations of
physical space, imaginary spaces or abstract spaces, as well as periods and moments
in time.
6 The DOLCE ontology was developed by the Laboratory for Applied Ontology at the CNR
(Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) in Trento, under the directorship of Nicola Guarino; for
further information, see the laboratory's website: http://www.loa-cnr.it/index.html.
