frenchPrep

The Role of Prepositions in French Binominal Compounds: 

The Role of Prepositions in French Binominal Compounds Cecilia Hemming School of Humanities and Informatics, University College of Skövde Graduate School of Language Technology, Göteborg Barbara Gawronska School of Humanities and Informatics, University College of Skövde

Problems with translation of compounds: 

Problems with translation of compounds From a Swedish n-n compound to a French equivalent: chose among translation candidates which French preposition to use ? oljekanal canalisation à huile [oil+duct] [duct prep. oil] bränsleledning conduite de carburant [fuel+pipe] [pipe prep. fuel]

Language specific production patterns: 

Language specific production patterns Swedish: binominal compound noun+noun (modifier+head) oljekanal [oil+duct], bränsleledning [fuel+pipe] French: post-modified prepositional compound noun preposition noun (head + prep + modifier) canalisation à huile [duct prep. oil] conduite de carburant [pipe prep. fuel]

Semantic connection  between the head and the modifier: 

Semantic connection between the head and the modifier French: explicitly hinted at by the preposition conteneur de/en verre [glass container] (made-of) conteneur à verre (for) (cf. Bassac & Bouillon, 2001: verre de vin ”glass of wine” [glass of wine].verre à vin ”glass for wine” [wine glass]) Swedish: underspecified glasbehållare [glass container] (made of/containing glass)

A previous study: 

A previous study 4000 technical terms in Swedish-French parallel corpus + Web search de outperforms other prepositions in technical terms very few occurrences of terms with container-conductor concept [channel, tap, aperture…] formed with à Exception: terms formed with the preposition à and modifiers expressing unbound masses e.g. eau [water] or air [air]

Current investigation:: 

Current investigation: Material: medical texts from Cismef (http://www.chu-rouen.fr/cismef/cismef.html; a French variant of MeSH® (Medical Subject Headings) the controlled vocabulary thesaurus of the NLM (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Anatomie electronic files, Boutillier, B. version 1999 Scania’95, Scania Manuals version 1995 Investigated prepositions: á, de, en, par, pour, sur

Classification: Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Semantic Relations Hierarchy: 

Classification: Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Semantic Relations Hierarchy Associated_with physically_ spatially_ functionally_ temporally_ conceptually_ related_to related_to related_to related_to related_to part_of location_of affects co-occurs_with evaluation_of consists_of adjacent_to brings_about precedes method_of contains surrounds performs conceptual_part_of connected_to traverses occurs_in issue_in interconnects uses degree_of branch_of manifestation_of analyzes tributary_of indicates measurement_of result_of measures diagnoses property_of derivated_of developmental._form_of

“de” in medical and technical texts : 

“de” in medical and technical texts Cismef Scania <spatially_related_to> <functionally_related_to> <body_part/symptom_proper_name> <conceptually_related_to> <physically_related_to> <functionally_related_to> <physically_related_to> <conceptually_related_to>

“de” in medical texts (Cismef): 

“de” in medical texts (Cismef) concept % <location_of><has_location> 37 carcinome canalaire du sein <body_part/symptom_proper_name> 20 cellules de Sertoli <affects><affected_by> 14 syndromes de compression du nerf ulnaire <occurs_in> 6 syndromes d'apnées du sommeil <part_of> 5

Patterns found in medical texts, not present in technical texts: 

Patterns found in medical texts, not present in technical texts Body part + de + Proper Name Trompe d‘Eustache [Eustachian tube] Cellules de Langerhans [Langerhans’ cells] Glandes de Cowper [Bulbourethral glands] Gaine de Schwann [Neurilemma] Corps de Lewy [Lewy bodies] Event (symptom) + de + Proper Name Sarcome d‘Ewing [Ewing’s sarcoma] Gangrène de Fournier [Fournier gangrene] Fièvre de Lassa [Lassa fever] Fracture de Pouteau-Colles [Colle’s fracture] Maladie de Basedow [Graves’ disease]

“à” in medical and technical texts: 

“à” in medical and technical texts Cismef Scania <functionally_related_to> <physically_related_to> <conceptually_related_to> <spatially_related_to> <functionally_related_to> <physically_related_to> <conceptually_related_to>

“à” in medical texts (Cismef): 

“à” in medical texts (Cismef) concept % <brings_about><brought_about_by> 67 glomérulonéphrite à dépôts d'IgA <affects><affected_by> 11 soins aux mourants <has_property> 7 adénocarcinome à cellules claires <has_location> 5 <consists_of> 4

“en” in medical and technical texts: 

“en” in medical and technical texts Cismef Scania <degree_of> (51,5%) <method_of><has_method> (26,5%) other (<conceptual_part_of>, <co-occurs_with>, <brings_about>, <has_location>, <has_result>, <evaluation_of>, <occurs_in>, <performs>) <consists_of> (55,5%) <conceptual_part_of> (14%) <method_of><has_method> (11%) <measurement_of> other (<caused_by>, <has_location>, <occurs_in>, <result_of>) <physically_related_to> <conceptually_related_to>

“par” in medical and technical texts: 

“par” in medical and technical texts Cismef Scania <functionally_related_to> <conceptually_related_to>

“pour” in medical and technical texts: 

“pour” in medical and technical texts <functionally_related_to> <conceptually_related_to> Cismef Scania

“sur” in medical and technical texts: 

“sur” in medical and technical texts Scania Cismef <functionally_related_to> <spatially_related_to> <conceptually_related_to>

Results: <measurement_of>: 

Results: <measurement_of> de for definite quantities with clear limits limite, distance, épaisseur, niveau diamètre de garniture distance de freinage à for quantities with inherent movement jeu, départ, résistance jeu aux culbuteurs départ à froid

Results: <has_part – part_of>: 

Results: <has_part – part_of> noun de noun expresses “part -> whole” –relationship Cadre du chassis [chassis frame], Came de frein [braking axle], Col de la vessie [bladder neck], Osselets de l’oreille [ear ossicles] noun à noun expresses “whole -> part” –relationship Ressort à lame [PLATE SPRING], Roue à rayon [spoke wheel], unfrequent in Cismef

Results: <has_conceptual_part – conceptual_part_of>: 

Results: <has_conceptual_part – conceptual_part_of> noun de noun expresses “part -> whole” –relationship Classe de châssis [chassis class], Croquis coté du châssis [lateral view of chassis], Image du corps [body image], Type de centrifuge [centrifuge type] expresses “part -> type” –relationship Tandem de catégorie H [class H bogie], Diabète de type 1 [type 1 diabetes] , Glycogénose de type V noun à noun expresses “whole -> part” –relationship Douille à baïonnette [bajonett socket], Tandem à balancier [balance bogie], Protéine à domaine T-box [T-box domain proteins]

Results: en: 

Results: en en in technical texts expresses mainly physical –relationships most frequently consists_of-relations Pièce en plastique [plastic part], Tuyau en acier [Steel pipe] en in medical texts expresses mainly conceptual –relationships Carence en fer [iron deficiency], Réaction en chaîne [chain reaction]

Results: par and pour: 

Results: par and pour par in both medical and technical texts expresses mainly functional and conceptual relationships <brought_about_by> Chauffage par eau, Plaies par armes à feu <has_method> Nettoyage par soufflage, Traitement par acupuncture pour in both medical and technical texts expresses mainly functional relationships <brings_about> towards specific goal Clé pour filtre, Programmes d’éducation pour la santé

Results: spatial relations: 

Results: spatial relations unfrequent or nonexistent for most prepositions except for de and sur Charge sur essieu [axle pressure], Abcès du foie [liver abscess]

Anatomic texts: 

Anatomic texts