Relating prototype theory and label semantics

Abstract

An interpretation of the label semantics framework is introduced based on prototype theory. Within this interpretation it is shown that the appropriateness of an expression is characterised by an interval constraints on a parameter ε. Here ε is an uncertain distance threshold according to which an element x is sufficiently close to the prototype pi of a label Li for Li to be deemed appropriate to describe x, if the distance between x and pi is less than or equal to ε. Appropriateness measures and mass functions are then defined in terms of an underlying probability density function δ on ε. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.