ISO 24617-14:2023

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 24617-14
First edition
2023-06
Language resource management —
Semantic annotation framework
(SemAF) —
Part 14:
Spatial semantics
Gestion des ressources linguistiques — Cadre d'annotation
sémantique (SemAF) —
Partie 14: Sémantique spatiale
Reference number
© ISO 2023
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ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Metamodel . 2
5 Semantic types . 4
5.1 General . 4
5.2 Basic types . 4
5.2.1 General . 4
5.2.2 Extended basic types . 4
5.2.3 Functional types . 4
5.3 Place and spatial entity . 5
5.4 Paths . 6
6 Events and paths generated from events . 7
6.1 General . 7
6.2 Two types of verb constructions . 7
6.3 Typing event-paths . 8
7 Semantic interpretation of annotation structures . 9
7.1 Overview . 9
7.2 Semantic forms . . . 9
7.3 Model theory . 11
7.3.1 General . 11
7.3.2 Interpretation .12
Bibliography .14
iii
Foreword
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iv
Introduction
This document establishes a semantic ground for supporting ISO 24617-7 (spatial information), which
specifies an abstract syntax for the annotation of spatial information in language. It also specifies a
way of translating the annotation structures generated by the abstract syntax of ISO 24617-7 into well-
formed semantic forms. These semantic forms are represented in a type-theoretic first-order logic and
made interpretable according to a model.
This document:
— validates the abstract specification of ISO 24617-7 for the annotation of spatial information in
language on semantic grounds;
— specifies an interoperable format for interpreting spatial information, both static and dynamic.
Dynamic spatial information involves spatio-temporal information as well as information about motions
in space and time. This document aims at satisfying such needs. An understanding of information
in natural language is necessary for many computational linguistics and artificial intelligence (AI)
applications. An explicit semantics is necessary for the specification provided by ISO 24617-7, as the
representations created in accord with that language will not have a significant impact on AI and
automatic inference without explicit interpretation.
v
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 24617-14:2023(E)
Language resource management — Semantic annotation
framework (SemAF) —
Part 14:
Spatial semantics
1 Scope
This document extends ISO 24617-7:2020, which specifies ways of annotating spatial information in
natural language such as English, by establishing a formal semantics for its abstract syntax. The task of
the proposed semantics is of two kinds:
a) translation of annotation structures to semantic forms;
b) model-theoretic interpretation of semantic forms.
Semantic forms are represented in a type-theoretic first-order logic. These semantic forms are then
interpreted with respect to a model for part of the world to which an annotated language is referentially,
or denotationally, anchored.
NOTE The basic framework and content of this document is based on Reference [1].
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 24617-7:2020, Language resource management — Semantic annotation framework — Part 7: Spatial
information
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
annotation structure
information structure created by marking up some linguistic expressions with relevant (semantic)
information
Note 1 to entry: ISO 24617-7:2020, for instance, creates such annotation structures by marking up place names or
motions and their spatial relations with relevant spatial information.
3.2
eigenplace
eigenspace
region or path occupied by an object
Note 1 to entry: A region may be considered as a particular finite path matching to an interval [x,x] such that its
start and endpoint match or are identical. In that case, a region is considered as a point.
3.3
event-path
region of space occupied by a mover (moving object) throughout an event
3.4
first-order logic
formal language, artificially built for reasoning, with the values of its terms, particularly variables,
ranging over individual objects only
Note 1 to entry: Second-order variables such as P, which ranges over properties of an individual, are temporarily
introduced to allow the λ-operation in the process of deriving semantic forms (3.7), see 7.2, Note and Example 2,
b) and c).
3.5
interpretation
function that maps a semantic form (3.7) to its denotation
Note 1 to entry: The interpretation function is represented by ⟦ ⟧ and, for each semantic form a, its denotation or
the value of the interpretation, is represented by ⟦σ(a)⟧.
Note 2 to entry: In a model-theoretic semantics, the interpretation function ⟦ ⟧ is constrained by a model M and,
M
for each semantic form a and a model M, such an interpretation is represented by ⟦σ(a)⟧ .
3.6
model M
set-theoretical construct that represents part of the real or possible world denoted by semantic forms
(3.7)
3.7
semantic form
logical form
representation of the semantic content of an annotation structure (3.1) of expressions in natural
language
Note 1 to entry: The semantic form of an annotation structure a is represented by σ(a), where σ is a function that
maps an annotation structure a to a semantic form that carries the semantic content of a.
Note 2 to entry: Semantic forms are often called “logical forms” because semantic forms are represented by a
logical language such as first-order logic (3.4).
3.8
type
semantic type
kind or sort of an object denoted by a linguistic expression
4 Metamodel
This document shall be used together with ISO 24617-7:2020.
The metamodel presented in this clause outlines the basic semantic structure for the abstract syntax of
ISO 24617-7 for easy reference, which specifies an annotation scheme for the markup of spatial relations,
both static and dynamic, as expressed in text and other media. This specification distinguishes the
following six major categories of spatially relevant e
...