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A canon (or canonic base ) of conceptual terms is a set of terms which form the
basis of the ASW meta-lexicon itself, or indeed of such-and-such a taxonomic
domain of knowledge. Thus, in principle , any taxonomic domain of knowledge will
include the following triplet of conceptual terms:
1. [Taxon] : a canonic conceptual term which enables us to express the point of
view according to which the objects in the taxonomic domain are identified and
classified;
2. [Feature] : a canonic conceptual term which enables us to identify objects in a
given taxonomic domain whose existence depends on a “supporting object”.
Typically, such objects are qualities, quantities, attributes, roles, statuses, and so on.
3. [System] : a canonic conceptual term which enables us to identify objects in a
given taxonomic domain which form or are apprehended in the form of organized
systems, whole sets or simple assemblies, etc.
This triplet includes two major classemes, two semantic dimensions [RAS 87]
which, in principle, are to be found at every level of the ASW meta-lexicon of
conceptual terms:
the first dimension draws the distinction between independent objects and
dependent objects (i.e. objects which depend upon a “support object” for their
existence);
the second dimension distinguishes between objects taken as a whole and, on
the other hand, entities which form or are perceived as plural entities - structured or
otherwise,compoundormassive,etc. (see Brøndal & Greimas [BRO 86], who draw
the distinction between totus and omnis ).
Every level of specialization of the branch [Object of analysis] in the ASW meta-
lexicon allows for this double semantic distinction even if it is not systematically
realized in the current version of that branch. For instance, Figure 13.1 shows that
the taxonomic domain of knowledge initiated by the conceptual term [Object of
value] does not use the full extent of its canonic base. The reason for this is purely
practical: we did not need so general a taxonomic domain for analyzing our
audiovisual corpora.
As has already been said, a conceptual term belongs to one or other of the three
canonic terms which form the structure of a taxonomic domain of knowledge. Thus,
in the current version of the ASW meta-lexicon, a conceptual term denotes:
either an object classified according to a certain point of view , taken from the
taxonomic domain in question;
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