A Theory of Meaning via Dependent Type Semantics

Perspectives and Challenges

Abstract

Is there a semantic theory that can robustly predict and explain the accumulated variety of linguistic facts, and is there a way to evaluate whether such a theory is successful? This study addresses these questions by combining Dependent Type Semantics (DTS), a proof-theoretic framework of natural language semantics based on dependent type theory, and the methodology of automatic verification of semantic theories through implementation. This is achieved by combining the technology of 1) a Japanese CCG parser, 2) an automatic theorem prover for dependent type theory, and 3) the inference test set JSeM describing Japanese semantic phenomena. We give an overview of the empirical semantic studies conducted so far under the framework of DTS, and discuss the prospects and challenges in applying the above methodology to those studies.