Abstract: Models of linguistic semantics can be viewed through representation and reasoning. This distinction concerns questions on how do we represent the world that we refer to by linguistic expressions and what kind of reasoning do we apply based on these representations. It has been commonplace to assume that each word or expression has one or a limited number of different, distinct senses. The classification task of disambiguation has been devised to find the right reference in each case. It is also possible to represent the world using a high-dimensional continuous space. In that case, we do not need to assume that the world is represented as a network of nodes and their connections. These mathematical representations go beyond the capacities provided by symbolic logic. The word embeddings has history that stems from vector space representations in information retrieval. When a framework of multidimensional continuous spaces is available, it is possible to study nuances of meaning that go beyond conducting disambiguation or choosing between alternatives within a logical framework. In the present work, it is postulated that semantic processes are essentially subjective and thus individual. When high-dimensional continuous spaces are used to represent meanings and defining contextual distributions, subjective aspects can be modelled. It is possible to measure subjectivity of meaning. This can be studied, for instance, in the framework of brain research (Saalasti et al. 2019) or motions tracking (Honkela & Förger 2013). The methodology or measuring subjective contextually grounded meaning has been been presented, for instance, in Raitio et al. 2014. Further methodological work and an empirical demonstration is presented in Sintonen et al. (2014). When it is possible to represent individually contextual meaning of expressions, it is consequently possible to analyse the differences of meaning between two individuals. A hypothesis is that suitable data for the purpose of meaning negotiation can be collected, computational algorithms devised and applied in real world contexts that helps in meaning negotiations. An alternative view is to aim at defining the meaning of words in a precise way and to teach all people to use these definition. In this present work, it is claimed that that objectivity can be reached only to a degree as it would require vast human cognitive and time resources and the mapping between words and the world is doomed to be partial. This concern has implications both in scientific and in real world communication and representation and has been applied in building the Peace Machine framework. Meaning negotiations as phenomena and as LT challenges Timo Honkela University of Helsinki with Iiro Jääskeläinen (Aalto University) on the Study of Individualized Meanings using Brain Research University of Helsinki, Topelia, F211 4th of April, 2019

1. Timo Honkela (University of Helsinki), Language Technology Seminar, 4th of April, 2019
Meaning negotiations
as phenomena and
as LT challenges
Timo Honkela
University of Helsinki
with Iiro Jääskeläinen (Aalto University) on
the Study of Individualized Meanings
using Brain Research
University of Helsinki, Topelia, F211
4th of April, 2019

2. Timo Honkela (University of Helsinki), Language Technology Seminar, 4th of April, 2019
What is meaning negotiation
● Meaning on an expression:
Position, distribution or dynamical pattern in
a multidimensional conceptual space system
corresponding to the expression
in a context for
a person interpreting or eliciting an expression
● Meanings emerge and find their position or
form based on the interaction between
language users in a linguistic and/or
non-linguistic context, directly or indirectly
WORD

3. Timo Honkela (University of Helsinki), Language Technology Seminar, 4th of April, 2019
Meaning as a distribution
in a numerical space: case red
● Red shirt
● Red wine
● Red skin
(Gärdenfors 2000)

4. Timo Honkela (University of Helsinki), Language Technology Seminar, 4th of April, 2019
Meaning formation as a cognitive
and social process
● Linguistic and conceptual systems are formed
through cognitive and social processes in
which individual observe and imitate the use of
expressions in linguistic or non-linguistic
contexts
René Magritte, 1929
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treachery_of_Images

5. Timo Honkela (University of Helsinki), Language Technology Seminar, 4th of April, 2019
Finding meaning through contexts
● learning can change clasth in radical ways
● a positive influence on clasth
● cooperation is important for clasth to function
● people feel that clasth treats them unfairly
Clasth?
Existing word and concept
Word (expression) for new concept
Word (expression) suggesting
new concept

6. Timo Honkela (University of Helsinki), Language Technology Seminar, 4th of April, 2019
Conceptual space system
● Conceptual space is a geometric structure that
represents a number of quality dimensions,
which denote basic features by which
concepts and objects can be compared
(Gärdenfors 2000)
● A Conceptual Space System is a dynamical
representation and reasoning framework in
which several spaces may be involved

7. Timo Honkela (University of Helsinki), Language Technology Seminar, 4th of April, 2019
What is meaning negotiation
● Meaning negotiation is a communicative
process in which two or more persons aim at
finding an agreement on what they mean by
an expression in reference to some linguistic
and/or non-linguistic context that can be used
in specifying the meaning
● As meaning formation is essentially a
statistical learning process, it is necessary to
go through several contexts for the expression
to lower the distances in interpretation.

8. Timo Honkela (University of Helsinki), Language Technology Seminar, 4th of April, 2019
Communication
in shared contexts
Imitation
Being attentive
(cf. theory of mind)
Convergent and divergent
processes in meaning formation
Specialization
Lack of empathy
and problems
in theory of mind
Lacking motivation

9. Timo Honkela (University of Helsinki), Language Technology Seminar, 4th of April, 2019
As meaning includes
a subjective component,
could it be studied through
cognitive neuroscience?