[Lexicog] sense groupings

[Verna_Stutzman at SIL.ORG]

When I attended Lexicom workshop at the University of Brighton in July 
2000, we had a lecture on tests to do in order to decide whether two 
readings of a word comprised one sense or two senses of a word. I 
incorporated this information into my Powerpoint presentation on 
Lexicography that in give when I do LinguaLinks workshops. Here it is in 
point form. Of course the examples are in English and it might be more 
difficult to come up with these tests in the 'vernacular' language.

Verna Stutzman
LinguaLInks Technical manager
SIL International
Dallas, TX
One sense or two?
v       bank            money bank      river   bank
v       dog (n) species         male of species
v       blue            light blue              dark blue
v       hand            left hand               right hand 

Indirect indications
v       Morphology
v       hang ? hanged the thief vs. hang ? hung clothes 
v       kneel ? kneeled vs. kneel ? knelt 
v       Synonym
v       match ? lucifer vs. match - contest 
v       Antonym
v       light ? heavy vs. light ? dark 
v       thin ? thick (tree) vs. thin ? fat (person) 

Indirect indications
v       Translation into another language
v       drug ? drogue vs. drug ? médicament (French) 
v       light blue vs. dark blue (Russian) 

Semantic Tests
v       Yes/no 
v       Zeugma
v       Crossed readings
Format of tests
v       Word: 
v       R1:                     identify sense discriminations; different readings 
(R1 vs. R2)
v       R2:
v       TEST:           devise test sentence/scenario
v       RESULT:         Is it plausible/funny/weird?
v       INFERENCE:      implication of result (same or different)

Yes/no Test
If both the yes answer and the no answer are plausible = different senses.
v       Word:           dog
v       R1:             species of dog
v       R2:             male dog
v       TEST:           Is that a dog? (Yes, it's a spaniel. No, it's a bitch.)
v       RESULT:         Both scenarios plausible.
v       INFERENCE:      Different senses

Yes/no Test
If one answer doesn't make sense = same sense.
v       Word:           hand
v       R1:             left hand
v       R2:             right hand
v       TEST:           Did he raise his hand? (Yes, he raised his right hand. No, 
he raised his left hand.)
v       RESULT:         Not OK.
v       INFERENCE:      Same sense

Zeugma test
If sentence is not OK = different senses.
v       Word:           grow
v       R1:             produce by planting
v       R2:             became
v       TEST:           I grew alfalfa and bored.
v       RESULT:         Not OK.
v       INFERENCE:      Different senses

Zeugma test
If sentence is OK = same sense.
v       Word:           carry
v       R1:             transport inanimate object
v       R2:             transport animate object
v       TEST:           She carried a sack of groceries and a child.
v       RESULT:         OK.
v       INFERENCE:      Same sense

Crossed readings Test
If crossed readings not possible = different senses.
v       Word:           bank
v       R1:             river bank
v       R2:             money bank
v       TEST:           Mary blew up the bank and so did John. (could be robbers 
or dam busters)
v       RESULT:         Crossed readings not possible
v       INFERENCE:      Different senses

Crossed readings Test
If crossed readings okay = same sense.
v       Word:           hand
v       R1:             left hand
v       R2:             right hand
v       TEST:           Mary put up her hand and so did John.
v       RESULT:         Crossed reading OK.
v       INFERENCE:      Same sense
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