~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PyWordNet - A Python Interface to WordNet ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Overview ======== PyWordNet is a Python_ interface to the WordNet_ database of word meanings and lexical relationships. (A lexical relationship is a relationship between words, such as **synonym**, **antonym**, **hypernym** (``"poodle"`` -> ``"dog"``), and **hyponym** (``"poodle"`` -> ``"dog"``). PyWordNet presents a concise interface to WordNet, that allows the user to type expressions such as ``N['dog']``, ``hyponyms(N['dog'][0])``, and ``closure(ADJ['red'], SYNONYM)`` to query the database. If Python is already installed at your site, download PyWordNet from the project home page, at http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywordnet. For more information, read the documentation at the top of the source file, or skip to the example session `Example Session`_ below. PyWordNet is hosted on SourceForge_ SourceForge Logo Copyright (c) 1998-2004 by Oliver Steele. Use is permitted under the `Artistic License`_. Requirements ============ Python 1.5 or later, available from http://www.python.org/download/. (For the MacOS, you can use MacPython, at http://www.python.org/download/download_mac.html.) WordNet 1.6 or 1.7, available from http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/~wn/. (PyWordNet only uses the data files.) Other Links =========== - `Change History`_ - `Installation Instructions`_ .. _`Change History`: changes.html .. _`Installation Instructions`: install.html Example Session =============== ``wordnet.py`` contains the core database access functions. ``wntools.py`` contains the utility functions such as ``hyponyms``, ``meet``, ``morphy``, ``closure``, etc. Importing ``wntools`` imports all the public functions from both modules: >>> from wordnet import * >>> from wntools import * Retrieve a Word from the Noun database: >>> N['dog'] dog(n.) "Dog" has six senses: >>> N['dog'].getSenses() ('dog' in {noun: dog, domestic dog, Canis familiaris}, 'dog' in {noun: frump, dog}, 'dog' in {noun: dog}, 'dog' in {noun: cad, bounder, blackguard, dog, hound, heel}, 'dog' in {noun: pawl, detent, click, dog}, 'dog' in {noun: andiron, firedog, dog, dogiron}) Bind the first-listed sense to a variable, for easier access. (``word[0]`` is shorthand for ``word.getSenses()[0]``.) >>> dog = N['dog'][0] >>> dog 'dog' in {noun: dog, domestic dog, Canis familiaris} Retrieve all the relations, of any kind, that have this sense of "dog" as the source. (``dog.getPointers(HYPONYM)`` would retrieve the hyponyms, or names of subcategories of this sense of "dog".) >>> dog.getPointers() (hypernym -> {noun: canine, canid}, member meronym -> {noun: Canis, genus Canis}, member meronym -> {noun: pack}, hyponym -> {noun: pooch, doggie, doggy, bow-wow}, hyponym -> {noun: cur, mongrel, mutt}, hyponym -> {noun: lapdog}, hyponym -> {noun: toy dog, toy}, hyponym -> {noun: hunting dog}, hyponym -> {noun: working dog}, hyponym -> {noun: dalmatian, coach dog, carriage dog}, hyponym -> {noun: basenji}, hyponym -> {noun: pug, pug-dog}, hyponym -> {noun: Newfoundland}, hyponym -> {noun: Great Pyrenees}, hyponym -> {noun: spitz}, hyponym -> {noun: griffon, Brussels griffon, Belgian griffon}, hyponym -> {noun: corgi, Welsh corgi}, hyponym -> {noun: poodle, poodle dog}, hyponym -> {noun: Mexican hairless}, part holonym -> {noun: flag}) >>> dog.pointerTargets(MEMBER_MERONYM) [{noun: Canis, genus Canis}, {noun: pack}] Hypernyms of "dog", and their hypernyms, and so on until the links peter out. (``hypernyms(dog)`` is a shortcut for the closure of this particular relationship.) >>> closure(dog, HYPERNYM) ['dog' in {noun: dog, domestic dog, Canis familiaris}, {noun: canine, canid}, {noun: carnivore}, {noun: placental, placental mammal, eutherian, eutherian mammal}, {noun: mammal}, {noun: vertebrate, craniate}, {noun: chordate}, {noun: animal, animate being, beast, brute, creature, fauna}, {noun: life form, organism, being, living thing}, {noun: entity, something}] >>> cat = N['cat'] The ``meet`` of two items is their most subordinate common concept: >>> meet(dog, cat[0]) {noun: carnivore} >>> meet(dog, N['person'][0]) {noun: life form, organism, being, living thing} >>> meet(N['thought'][0], N['belief'][0]) {noun: content, cognitive content, mental object} Hyponyms of "dog" (n.) that are homophonous with verbs: >>> filter(lambda sense:V.get(sense.form), flatten1(map(lambda e:e.senses(), hyponyms(N['dog'][0])))) ['dog' in {noun: dog, domestic dog, Canis familiaris}, 'pooch' in {noun: pooch, doggie, doggy, bow-wow}, 'toy' in {noun: toy dog, toy}, 'hound' in {noun: hound, hound dog}, 'basset' in {noun: basset, basset hound}, 'cocker' in {noun: cocker spaniel, English cocker spaniel, cocker}, 'bulldog' in {noun: bulldog, English bulldog}] The first five adjectives that are transitively SIMILAR to red (there are 71 in all): >>> closure(ADJ['red'][0], SIMILAR) ['red' in {adjective: red, reddish, ruddy, blood-red, carmine, cerise, cherry, cherry-red, crimson, ruby, ruby-red, scarlet}, {adjective: chromatic}, {adjective: amber, brownish-yellow, yellow-brown}, {adjective: amethyst}, {adjective: aureate, gilded, gilt, gold, golden}] Trace the senses of dog to the top concepts, and display the results in a readable form: >>> from pprint import pprint >>> pprint(tree(N['dog'], HYPERNYM)) [['dog' in {noun: dog, domestic dog, Canis familiaris}, [{noun: canine, canid}, [{noun: carnivore}, [{noun: placental, placental mammal, eutherian, eutherian mammal}, [{noun: mammal}, [{noun: vertebrate, craniate}, [{noun: chordate}, [{noun: animal, animate being, beast, brute, creature, fauna}, [{noun: life form, organism, being, living thing}, [{noun: entity, something}]]]]]]]]]], ['dog' in {noun: frump, dog}, [{noun: unpleasant woman, disagreeable woman}, [{noun: unpleasant person, disagreeable person}, [{noun: unwelcome person, persona non grata}, [{noun: person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, human, soul}, [{noun: life form, organism, being, living thing}, [{noun: entity, something}]], [{noun: causal agent, cause, causal agency}, [{noun: entity, something}]]]]]]], ['dog' in {noun: dog}, [{noun: chap, fellow, lad, gent, fella, blighter, cuss}, [{noun: male, male person}, [{noun: person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, human, soul}, [{noun: life form, organism, being, living thing}, [{noun: entity, something}]], [{noun: causal agent, cause, causal agency}, [{noun: entity, something}]]]]]], ['dog' in {noun: cad, bounder, blackguard, dog, hound, heel}, [{noun: villain, scoundrel}, [{noun: unwelcome person, persona non grata}, [{noun: person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, human, soul}, [{noun: life form, organism, being, living thing}, [{noun: entity, something}]], [{noun: causal agent, cause, causal agency}, [{noun: entity, something}]]]]]], ['dog' in {noun: pawl, detent, click, dog}, [{noun: catch, stop}, [{noun: restraint, constraint}, [{noun: device}, [{noun: instrumentality, instrumentation}, [{noun: artifact, artefact}, [{noun: object, physical object}, [{noun: entity, something}]]]]]]]], ['dog' in {noun: andiron, firedog, dog, dogiron}, [{noun: support}, [{noun: device}, [{noun: instrumentality, instrumentation}, [{noun: artifact, artefact}, [{noun: object, physical object}, [{noun: entity, something}]]]]]]]]
Oliver Steele
Modified 2004-04-19
.. _Python: http://www.python.org/ .. _WordNet: http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/~wn/ .. _SourceForge: http://sourceforge.net .. _`Artistic License`: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/artistic-license.html