This presentation described a Multilingual Retrieval Interface for Structured data on the Web, a talk given at NLIWoD workshop at ISWC 2014. The approach is based on Grammatical framework and semantic web and linked data technologies

1. Multilingual Retrieval Interface for Structured Data on the Web
Dana Dannells, Ramona Enache, Mariana Damova
NLIWoD - ISWC’2014

2. Semantic Data Infrastructures
Leonardo
Mona Lisa
RDF Repository
SPARQL
:Painter
:Painting
:painted
Mona Lisa
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rdf:type
rdf:type
• Semantic Web
• Linked data
• SPARQL query language
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3. Natural Interface through NL
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EN
FR
DE
Who painted Mona Lisa?
Qui a paint Mona Lisa?
Wer hat Mona Lisa gemahlt?
Who is Mona Lisa’s painter?
Qui est le paintre de Mona Lisa?
Wer ist der Mahler von Mona Lisa ?
Who created Mona Lisa?
Qui a créé Mona Lisa?
Wer hat Mona Lisa geschöpft?
Leonardo da Vinci
A:
Q:
NL to ontology interoperability

4. Multilingual Retrieval Interface
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5. GF – Grammar Framework
•Type-theoretical grammar formalism supporting multilingual applications
•Two-layered architecture
–Abstract syntax - semantics
–Concrete syntax – language dependent surface structure
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Abstract syntax: Concrete English syntax: Abstract representation:
cat NP, VP, S; lincat NP, VP, S = {s: Str}; lin Mary = mkNP (mkPN "Mary");
fun Mary, John: NP; lin Mary = {s = "Mary"}; lin John = mkNP (mkPN "John");
fun Love: NP -> VP; lin John = {s = "John"}; lin Love o = mkVP (mkV2 "love") o;
fun Pred : NP -> VP -> S; lin Love o = {s = "loves" ++ o.s}; lin Pred sub v = mkS (mkCl sub v); lin Pred sub v = {s = sub.s ++ v.s};
Ex: John loves Mary

6. Multilingual Aspect of GF
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7. YAQL (Yet Another Query language)
•A common architecture with one base module and domain knowledge representation
•Straightforward abstract syntax generation from ontology with just the minimum lexical types
–Common noun – Kind
–Noun phrase – Entity
–Verb phrase – Property
–Verb phrase with higher arity – Relation
•Reusable generic grammar structure
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Abstract syntax: Concrete syntax:
Move ; Move = Utt ;
Query ; Query = QS ;
MQuery : Query -> Move ;
Query
Command
Answer

8. YAQL and the Semantic Web
The category Kind gets coupled with OWL entities
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•Yet another NL two layers so that a new domain model can be easily integrated into the query module
•Bidirectional translation in 15 languages (Bulgarian, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Italian, German, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish)
Text
Query
Answer
Data
Lexicon
RGL
YAQL

9. NL to SPARQL
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10. Who painted Mona Lisa?
English: Who painted t ?
QPainter t = mkQS pastTense (mkQCl who_IP paint_V2 t)
Finnish: Whose painting is t ?}
QPainter t = mkQS (mkQCl (mkIP (E.GenIP who_IP) (mkN "maalaama")) t)
French: By who is t ?
QPainter t = mkQS (mkQCl (mkIAdv by8agent_Prep who_IP) t)
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$MQuery (QPainter (PTitle TMona_Lisa))$
Abstract syntax
SPARQL
MQuery q = "PREFIX painting:<http://spraakbanken.gu.se/rdf/owl/painting.owl#> PREFIX rdf:<http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#> PREFIX rdfs:<http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#>> SELECT distinct"++ q.wh1 ++ " WHERE { ?painting rdf:type painting:Painting; rdfs:label ?title; " ++ q.wh2 ++ q.prop++"}" ;
Concrete syntax

11. Evaluation
•User satisfaction
•Efficiency in terms of time, effort and cost
•Effectiveness, how the system scales up
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Coverage:
1159 query patterns in 15 languages
10 characteristics of CH objects
Extendibility
New query grammar - 150 lines of code
Evaluation
Random queries in 7 languages with very few native informants’ corrections

12. Conclusion
•NL to ontology interoperability approach
•Multilingual interface for retrieval of structured data from the Web
•Easily extendable initial base of YAQL transformations
•Great coverage of paraphrases
•Expert language/information engineers required
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13. Thank you for your attention
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Contacts:
dana.dannells@svenska.gu.se
ra.monique@gmail.com
mariana.damova@mozajka.co
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