Exploration of register-dependent lexical semantics using word embeddings

P. 26–34.

Kutuzov A. B., Kuzmenko E., Marakasova A.

We present an approach to detect differences in lexical semantics across English language registers, using word embedding models from distributional semantics paradigm. Models trained on register-specific subcorpora of the BNC corpus are employed to compare lists of nearest associates for particular words and draw conclusions about their semantic shifts depending on register in which they are used. The models are evaluated on the task of register classification with the help of the deep inverse regression approach.

Additionally, we present a demo web service featuring most of the described models and allowing to explore word meanings in different English registers and to detect register affiliation for arbitrary texts. The code for the service can be easily adapted to any set of underlying models.

Keywords: natural language processing, автоматическая обработка естественного языка, digital humanities, communicative grammar, text structure, texts typology, fiction – non-fiction, register., digital humanities, исследования жанра, word2vec, word embeddings

In book

Proceedings of the Workshop on Language Technology Resources and Tools for Digital Humanities (LT4DH)

Osaka: [б.и.], 2016.