DISAMBIGUATION In natural language processing disambiguation is a process of meaning clarification. During disambiguation the meaning is clarified by using formal methods.
When we use a language (speak, listen read, write) and disambiguation is performed continuously at the intuitive level. We may say that: we understand other people speaking the same language
We always use the following 3 powerful disambiguation tools: ucontext environment usituation and ubackground information
If we take the above examples and discuss them in a broader context they may become quite clear: Какие женщины на нас бросают одобрительные взоры. A bare copper conductor ran in the car.
Situation u if somebody asks you at the meeting: “Did you see the head? ” you will untruthfully understand that was meant had been a chairperson rather than a head – the situation of the meetings prompts you for the correct decision.
u If you are discussing, say, an electrical installation, you will, perhaps, have no doubt that by the word “conductor” is understood an inanimate object rather than a person
However, neither the context nor the situation alone will lead you to the correct answer, unless you already have the relevant background information.
Background information: uyour common sense, uyour knowledge of the way the things are in life.
There are cranes in the port
u It is more likely that you will understand “There are cranes in the port” as Kраны, не журавли в порту though theoretically there may be birds as well. u The cranes are flying. u Heavy powerful cranes.
We understand people speaking, the same language, we can read, write and translate due to continuous analysis of the Ø context and Ø situation and Ø the appropriate use of the relevant background information.
u Partly – this system is based on logic, but the larger part of it is what we call intuition, which may be called subconscious logic. We subconsciously perform very quick logical operation, not even knowing about it.
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There is a fragment of a poster on the wall of the opera-house. Any educated person would understand it as a fragment of a poster of Verdi’s “Aida”, because u 1) you know about the existence of an opera called “Aida” u 2) you know the building the poster on the opera-house u 3) you know the paper is a fragment of a poster, not anything else
You make a very factor analysis being totally unaware of the process yourself.
Let’s look at a simple example of factor analysis for a hypothetical translation system. The task is to find factors that would allow this system to choose one the 3 T alternatives for the sentences
“The walls of the vessel appeared too thin to withstand such pressure”
“The walls of the vessel appeared too thin to withstand such pressure” Ø сосуд Ø емкость Ø корабль
“The walls of «blood» , the vessel «coronary» , appeared «patient» , too thin to withstand «medical» such pressure”
“The walls of the vessel v «processing» appeared v «vent» , too thin to v « chemical» withstand such pressure” v «storage» ,
usea, uship, uboard, ucargo The walls of the vessel appeared too thin to withstand such pressure
This method is called SEMANTIC NETWORK ANALYSIS
DISAMBUGUATION is caused by: Ø Polysemy Ø Homonymy (“crane” (bird – machine; съезд (exit – congress) Ø perception of the extralinguistic world by various social, professional, and other groups
Perception of the extralinguistic world by various social, professional, and other groups Is CONNOTATION
u. The sun – South – North u. Illness of a teacher – connotation u“bar” – by a practicing lawyer
In the translation process we observe continuous interaction of the factors causing ambiguity, on the one hand those forming the basis of disambiguation on the other.
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