Joyce,
This is an excellent point. If folks could provide definitions in
logic, better yet with respect to an existing logical framework, we
could have a more informed discussion.
In SUMO, we have the "names" relation that relates strings and
Entity(s)
<http://sigma.ontologyportal.org:4010/sigma/Browse.jsp?lang=en&kb=SUMO&term=refers>, (01)
as well as GeographicalRegion(s)
<http://sigma.ontologyportal.org:4010/sigma/Browse.jsp?kb=SUMO&lang=en&term=GeographicArea>.
Barry's point is a good one though, I think. We often use names
in the context of discourse to have rather complex logical meanings
that are filled in by human interpretation. We should be careful to
keep such linguistic processing separate from how we describe the
world in an ontology. We might say "I'm going to Grandma's place."
but it would be pretty questionable to code a class of all places
owned by my grandmother. The phrase contains what is really an
indexical expression to an actual location, that might best be
described as a Building
<http://sigma.ontologyportal.org:4010/sigma/Browse.jsp?kb=SUMO&lang=en&term=Building> (02)
having a certain ownership, address etc. (03)
Adam (04)
At 07:27 AM 10/25/2005, Joyce.Koeneman@xxxxxxx wrote:
>The name of a location is just a word. The location is a geographical
>or political area, a spatial concept. No matter what you call it. This
>is the problem with most discussions of ontology. Entities must be
>defined beyond the verbage used to label them.
>
>Joyce W. Koeneman
>Digital Librarian and Head Tech Services
>National Transportation Library
>202.366.4203
>joyce.koeneman@xxxxxxx
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: ontac-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>[mailto:ontac-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Barry Smith
>Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 10:17 PM
>To: ONTAC-WG General Discussion
>Subject: RE: [ontac-forum] Surveyed Ontology "Library" Systems
>
>Responding to Roy
>
>
> >I would submit that a specific name of a place is a location.
>
>
>This cannot be right. "Oxford" is a name. Oxford is a place. The
>former is a name of a location; it is not itself a location.
>
> >Examples of such
> >places, relevant to the users of the place name (i.e., part of their
> >relative vocabulary and their individual and related group contexts)
> >this would be: home, the office, the school, Mary's, grandma's, the
> >store, the target). These conceptual locations would have no
> >global/larger/absolute meaning unless the vocabulary and contextual
> >meaning of the user was known.
>
>
>By 'conceptual location' I think you mean locations specified via
>phrases which have contextually dependent meanings. If so, then these
>are of course not special kinds of locations -- any more than a
>person whose name referred to by a nickname is a special kind of person.
>
>BS
>
>
> >\
>
>
>
>
>
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Adam Pease
http://www.ontologyportal.org - Free ontologies and tools (06)
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