Circularities in the frame element hierarchy

In a digraph analysis, links between nodes may give rise to strong components, i.e., nodes that are mutually reachable. In the frame element hierarchy, ten strong components (or circularities) have arisen. In an effort to provide a strict hierarchy for frame elements, these circularities need to be broken. In doing this, it is instructive to examine each one in detail.

As indicated in an earlier post, the initial construction of the hierarchy is based on the frame-to-frame relations (or mappings) between individual frame elements of two frames. In breaking the circularities, I will identify the circularity and the relations that lead to it and then describe the rationale and changes to eliminate it. The change always involves the deletion of a particular frame element as the “hypernym” of another. As indicated in examining individual circularities, some have been introduced as the result of other editing actions. As analysis of the relations between frame elements proceeds, it is possible that further circularities may emerge. These will be examined as necessary.

(Protagonist_1, Protagonist_2)

Arises from the relation Reciprocality_subordinate_event PERSP_ON Reciprocality. While showing a valid type of inheritance, this relation indicates a sort of interchangeability between the two protagonists. I believe the mapping should preserve the protagonists. In any event, in the dictionary, both frame elements are simply given the hypernym Protagonist.

(Firearm, Instrument)

In the relations Shoot_projectiles INHERITS Intentionally_affect and Shoot_projectiles USES Cause_motion, Instrument is the hypernym of Firearm. However, in Hit_target USES Shooting_scenario, Firearm is the hypernym of Instrument. While Hit_target clearly does not require that the instrument be a firearm, it is a slight error to have it use Shooting_scenario in which the instrument is always a firearm. The solution in this case is simply to eliminate Firearm as a hypernym of Instrument.

(Cause, Formational_cause)

The link from Formational_cause to Cause was added in analyzing frame element names. The link from Cause to Formational_cause arose from the frame-to-frame relation Body_mark INHERITS Entity (which contains the Extra-thematic frame element Formational_cause). To break this circularity, Formational_cause was removed as the hypernym of Cause.

(Owner, Recipient)

The link from Owner to Recipient arose from the frame-to-frame relation Possession INCH_OF Getting (which contains the Core frame element Recipient). The link from Recipient to Owner arose from the frame-to-frame relation Post_getting INHERITS Possession and Pre_getting INHERITS Possession (which contains the Core frame element Owner). The Recipient, upon receipt, becomes the Owner, whereas being an owner does not say anything about how that ownership came about. So, an owner is not necessarily a recipient, but may be, whereas a recipient is an owner. So, the hypernym Recipient should be removed from Owner.

(Purpose, Reason)

The link between Purpose and Reason arises in the frame-to-frame relation Apply_heat INHERITS Intentionally_affect (where the mapping for Apply_heat shows two instances of Purpose). The link between Reason and Purpose arises in the frame-to-frame relations Cause_to_move_in_place USES Activity_ongoing (where the mapping for Activity_ongoing shows two instances of Purpose). In both cases, the links appear to have been introduced accidentally. Both hypernymic links between these frame elements have been removed, so that neither frame element is directly linked to the other.

(Containing_event, Journey)

The link from Containing_event to Journey arose from the frame-to-frame relation Quitting_a_place INHERITS Departing (which contains the Extra-thematic frame element Journey). The link from Journey to Containing_event arose from the frame-to-frame relation Departing IS_SUB_OF Traversing (which contains the Extra-thematic frame element Containing_event). The frame-to-frame relations suggest that Containing_event is the more general frame element, and thus to break this circularity, Journey was removed as the hypernym of Containing_event.

(Evaluee, Victim, Patient)

The links among these three frame elements are (Evaluee hyp Victim), (Victim hyp Patient), and (Patient hyp Evaluee). The first link occurs in Corporal_punishment INHERITS Cause_harm, the second occurs in Attack INHERITS Intentionally_affect, Cause_harm INHERITS Transitive_action, Killing INHERITS Transitive_action, Manipulate_into_doing INHERITS Intentionally_affect, Rape INHERITS Intentionally_affect, and the third occurs in Grooming USES Desirability.  In the last mapping, these are the only frame elements that are mapped (out of several in each frame). It seems that Patient is a more general term than Evaluee, so the latter is removed as the hypernym of Patient. (This may also suggest that Patient is a more appropriate frame element of Desirability than Evaluee.)

(Sought_entity, Phenomenon)

The link from Sought_entity to Phenomenon arose from the frame-to-frame relations Scouring INHERITS Scrutinizing_for and Seeking PERSP_ON Searching_scenario (both of which contains the Core frame element Phenomenon). The link from Phenomenon to Sought_entity arose from the frame-to-frame relations Appearance INHERITS PerceptionBecoming_aware INHERITS Perception, Perception_active INHERITS Perception, and Perception_experience INHERITS Perception (which contains the Core frame element Phenomenon and the Extra-thematic frame element Sought_entity). Each of the second set of links appears to be in error in the frame-to-frame relations, with the mappings between the frame elements Phenomenon and Ground accidentally transposed. In view of this, the link between Phenomenon and Sought_entity was removed.

(Subevent, Next_subevent)

The link from Next_subevent to Subevent was added in analyzing frame element names. The link from Subevent to Next_subevent arose from the frame-to-frame relation Activity_ongoing INHERITS Process_continue (which contains the Extra-thematic frame element Next_subevent). To break this circularity, Next_subevent was removed as the hypernym of Subevent.

(Time, Time_of_creation)

The link from Time_of_creation to Time was added in analyzing frame element names. The link from Time to Time_of_creation arose from the frame-to-frame relations Create_physical_artwork USES Physical_artworks and Create_representation USES Physical_artworks (which contains the Peripheral frame element Time_of_creation). To break this circularity, Time_of_creation was removed as the hypernym of Time.

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