computer science

Lexical resource

Lexical resource is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lexical resource rather than just read about it. In short: In digital lexicography, natural language processing, and digital humanities, a lexical resource is a language resource consisting of data regarding the lexemes of the lexicon of one or more languages e.g., in the form of a database. Characteristics Different standards for the machine-readable edition of lexical resources exist, e.g., Lexical Markup Framework (LMF) an ISO standard for encoding lexical resources, com…

Key takeaways

Lexical resource belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lexical resource to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lexical resource from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In digital lexicography, natural language processing, and digital humanities, a lexical resource is a language resource consisting of data regarding the lexemes of the lexicon of one or more languages e.g., in the form of a database.

Characteristics Different standards for the machine-readable edition of lexical resources exist, e.g., Lexical Markup Framework (LMF) an ISO standard for encoding lexical resources, comprising an abstract data model and an XML serialization, and OntoLex-Lemon, an RDF vocabulary for publishing lexical resources as knowledge graphs on the web, e.g., as Linguistic Linked Open Data. Depending on the type of languages that are addressed, a lexical resource may be qualified as monolingual, bilingual or multilingual. For bilingual and multilingual lexical resources, the words may be connected or not connected from one language to another. When connected, the equivalence from a language to another is performed through a bilingual link (for bilingual lexical resources, e.g., using the relation vartrans:translatableAs in OntoLex-Lemon) or through multilingual notations (for multilingual lexical resources, e.g., by reference to the same ontolex:Concept in OntoLex-Lemon). It is possible also to build and manage a lexical resource consisting of different lexicons of the same language, for instance, one dictionary for general words and one or several dictionaries for different specialized domains.

Machine-readable dictionary vs. NLP dictionary

Lexical resources in digital lexicography are often referred to as machine-readable dictionary (MRD), a dictionary stored as machine (computer) data instead of being printed on paper. It is an electronic dictionary and lexical database. The term MRD is often contrasted with NLP dictionary, in the sense that an MRD is the electronic form of a dictionary which was printed before on paper. Although being both used by programs, in contrast, the term NLP dictionary is preferred when the dictionary was built from scratch with NLP in mind.

Lexical database A lexical database is a lexical resource which has an associated software environment database which permits access to its contents. The database may be custom-designed for the lexical information or a general-purpose database into which lexical information has been entered. Information typically stored in a lexical database includes spelling, lexical category and synonyms of words, as well as semantic and phonological relations between different words or sets of words.

See also Lexical Markup Framework (LMF), ISO standard for encoding lexical resources, comprising an abstract data model and an XML serialization OntoLex-Lemon, RDF vocabulary for publishing lexical resources on the web, e.g., as Linguistic Linked Open Data LREC conference series Machine-readable dictionary WordNet Arabic Ontology

References

External links Open English WordNet — Open source fork of the Princeton WordNet Wordnets in the world at Global WordNet Association WordNet at Princeton University (no longer maintained) Arabic Ontology at Birzeit University

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lexical resource

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lexical resource claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lexical resource before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lexical resource ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lexical resource

In research: Lexical resource appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lexical resource in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lexical resource is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computational linguistics, Dictionaries by type, Lexical databases, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lexical resource outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Lexical resource in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lexical resource means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lexical resource out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lexical resource in simple terms?

Why does Lexical resource matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lexical resource?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lexical resource.