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Minimal Recursion Semantics: An Introduction

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Research on Language and Computation

Abstract

Minimal recursion semantics (MRS) is a framework for computational semantics that is suitable for parsing and generation and that can be implemented in typed feature structure formalisms. We discuss why, in general, a semantic representation with minimal structure is desirable and illustrate how a descriptively adequate representation with a nonrecursive structure may be achieved. MRS enables a simple formulation of the grammatical constraints on lexical and phrasal semantics, including the principles of semantic composition. We have integrated MRS with a broad-coverage HPSG grammar.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 15 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FD, UK

    Ann Copestake

  2. CSLI, Stanford University, Ventura Hall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Dan Flickinger

  3. Linguistics Institute, University of Oslo, Norway

    Dan Flickinger

  4. Linguistics Department, Ohio State University, 25 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Ave. Mall, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Carl Pollard

  5. Department of Linguistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Ivan A. Sag

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  1. Ann Copestake
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  2. Dan Flickinger
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  3. Carl Pollard
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  4. Ivan A. Sag
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Correspondence to Ann Copestake.

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Copestake, A., Flickinger, D., Pollard, C. et al. Minimal Recursion Semantics: An Introduction. Research Language Computation 3, 281–332 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11168-006-6327-9

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