WordNet Lexical Database in the EllaZ System

WordNet, the lexical database available at the University of Princeton has been adapted for use by EllaZ Systems.  Definitions, synonyms, antonyms, hypernyms, and hyponyms can all be provided from over 99,000 unique definitions and 120,000 words and small word groups. 

"What are the hypernyms of horse?" results in a chain of definitions leading to a root type such as "thing, entity."  Hypernym is an "is a type of" relationship. Here is part of the result, not including the other six senses of the word:

Sense 1 (horse, Equus caballus)
. . . is a type of: equine, equid
. . . is a type of: odd-toed ungulate, perissodactyl, perissodactyl mammal
. . . is a type of: ungulate, hoofed mammal
. . . is a type of: placental, placental mammal, eutherian, eutherian mammal
. . . is a type of: mammal
. . . is a type of: vertebrate, craniate
. . . is a type of: chordate
. . . is a type of: animal, animate being, beast, brute, creature, fauna
. . . is a type of: life form, organism, being, living thing
. . . is a type of: entity, something

"What are the hyponyms of flower?" yields a list of all flower types, something difficult to do with a paper dictionary and other types of electronic dictionary.  "What are the types of flowers?" also gets a list of hyponyms as a response.  Here is part of the result, which totals over 120 types:

Sense 1 (flower)
. . . has a type: peony, paeony
. . . has a type: lesser celandine, pilewort, Ranunculus ficaria
. . . has a type: pheasant's-eye, Adonis annua
. . . has a type: anemone, windflower
. . . has a type: rue anemone, Anemonella thalictroides
. . . has a type: columbine, aquilegia, aquilege
. . . has a type: rocket larkspur, Consolida ambigua, Delphinium ajacis
. . . has a type: delphinium
. . . has a type: nigella
. . . has a type: spathiphyllum, peace lily, spathe flower
. . . has a type: calla lily, calla, arum lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica
. . . has a type: sandwort

Of course, EllaZ's purpose is to use WordNet to also assist with ordinary conversation.  One example is pattern matching, where a friend can ask, "please give me all the crossword puzzle words in the pattern U===E===L."  Or for the poet, "what words end with ant?"  WordNet also serves as a backup to when is, where is, who are, what is type of questions.

WordNet 1.6 Copyright 1997 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

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