The topic of this thesis is abstraction over theories of formal semantics for natural language. It is motivated by the belief that a metatheoretical perspective can contribute both to a better theoretical understanding of semantic theories, and to improved practical mechanisms for developing theories of semantics and combining them with theories of syntax. The argument for a new way to understand semantic theories rest spartly on the present difficulty of accurately comparing and clasifying theories, aswell as on the desire to easily combine theories that concentrate on different areas of semantics. There is a strong case for encouraging more modularity in the structure of semantic theories, to promote a division of labour, and potentially the development of reusable semantic modules. A more abstract approach to the syntax-semantics interface holds out the hope of further benefits, notably a degree of guaranteed semantic coherence via typesor constraints. Two case studies of semantic abstraction are presented. First,alternative characterizations of intensional abstraction and predication are developed with respect to three different semantic theories, but in a theory-independent fashion. Second,an approach to semantic abstraction recently proposed by Johnson and Kayis analyzed in detail,and the nature of its abstraction described with formal specifications. Finaly, a programme for modular semantic specifications is described, and applied to the area of quantification and anaphora,demonstrating succesfuly that theory-independent devices can be used to simultaneously abstract across both semantic theories and syntax-semantics interfaces.

[pt] A busca orientada a idéia é um novo paradigma para mecanismos de busca em acervos compostos por arquivos de texto. Esse paradigma visa resolver um problema comum aos mecanismos de busca: exigir que o usuário preveja as palavras contidas nos documentos que possam conter a informação que procura, impossibilitando-o, assim, de se concentrar diretamente na informação desejada. Buscando solucionar esse problema, são propostas as bases lingüísticas para o desenvolvimento de um modelo teórico preliminar que acrescente dados semânticos aos arquivos de texto. Nesse modelo, a informação semântica de um texto é representada através do que se chamou de estrutura de conceitos. O principal intuito das estruturas de conceitos é representar de uma mesma maneira frases que expressem o mesmo significado, ou seja, as paráfrases apresentam a mesma estrutura de conceitos. Serão expostos nesta dissertação os primeiros elementos do modelo em suas partes semântica, sintática e textual, além da integração entre as mesmas. A dissertação apresenta ainda um estudo de caso a fim de exemplificar o desenvolvimento de uma aplicação para busca de arquivos de texto em que essa tecnologia seria usada. / [en] The idea-oriented search is a new pattern for search engines whose databases are composed by text files. This pattern sets out to solve a usual problem for search engines: demanding that users foresee which words are contained in the desired document, keeping them from focusing on the information they are indeed seeking. To solve this problem, the linguistic bases for the development of a theoretical model that can add semantical data to the text files are laid down. In this model, the semantical information of a text is represented by what has been referred to as structure of concepts. The main goal of the structure of concepts is to give one single representation to sentences that express the same meaning. Thus, paraphrases present the same structure of concepts. In this dissertation, the first elements of this model are exposed in its semantical, syntactic and textual parts. Also present are the integration of these elements. A small case study is presented as well, with the intention of illustrating the development of an application for text files databases search engines in which this technology is used.

nÃo hà / A âArgumentaÃÃo no discurso parlamentar de legitimaÃÃo da corrupÃÃo polÃticaâ, tÃtulo desta tese, tem como objetivo investigar o discurso parlamentar de legitimaÃÃo da corrupÃÃo polÃtica, com foco no exame de como se configuram as relaÃÃes entre discurso, ideologia e estratÃgias linguÃstico-discursivas. Observa-se a corrupÃÃo polÃtica pela dimensÃo discursiva, e nÃo somente pelo viÃs das ciÃncias polÃticas, de modo a perceber que hà um discurso produzido para legitimar tal prÃtica, bem como identificar os recursos velados que a naturalizam. Os Estudos CrÃticos do Discurso (ECD) embasam teoricamente a pesquisa, especificamente a abordagem sociocognitiva de van Dijk (2006, 2008), que se configura na sua multidisciplinaridade, a partir das dimensÃes social, cognitiva e discursiva. Por meio da sociocogniÃÃo discursiva à que se torna viÃvel o perscrutar da estratÃgia de legitimaÃÃo da corrupÃÃo polÃtica dentre os textos produzidos na CÃmara Federal de Deputados do Brasil, grupo produtor dos discursos analisados. Ainda no aspecto teÃrico, propÃe-se uma articulaÃÃo entre a Teoria dos Blocos SemÃnticos de Carel e Ducrot (1997, 2001) e a sociocogniÃÃo, para assim fundamentar a metodologia de anÃlise, que investiga o discurso parlamentar de legitimaÃÃo da corrupÃÃo por meio da argumentaÃÃo dos seus sujeitos. O corpus de anÃlise à composto por pronunciamentos de deputados federais, entre os anos 2012 e 2013, sobre o âjulgamento do mensalÃoâ, evento emblemÃtico acerca da corrupÃÃo polÃtica que levou à condenaÃÃo lÃderes do Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT). Entende-se que, como grupo social, a CÃmara de Deputados e o PT, posicionam-se ideologicamente e que tal postura se apresenta no discurso produzido e compartilhado. A legitimaÃÃo discursiva da corrupÃÃo polÃtica produzida por um grupo social configura-se como abuso de poder. A sociocogniÃÃo se coloca no campo dos ECD porque investiga a ideologia de dominaÃÃo a partir da dimensÃo discursiva. A TBS fundamenta as categorias de anÃlise argumentativas necessÃrias ao perscrutar do discurso polÃtico, a partir dos enunciados elencados pelos sujeitos do discurso. Desta forma, entende-se que o desvelar de tais discursos de legitimaÃÃo corrobora contra uma forma mais sutil de opressÃo, a discursivo-ideolÃgica. / The âArgument in parliamentary discourse of legitimation of political corruptionâ, title of this thesis, aims to investigate the parliamentary discourse of legitimation of political corruption, focusing on the examination of how to configure the relationships between discourse, ideology and linguistic-discursive strategies. Perceived that the political corruption by discursive dimension, and not only by political science bias, in order to perceive that there is a discourse produced to legitimize this practice, and to identify the resources veiled that naturalize it. The Critical Discourse Studies (CDS) theoretically underlie the research, specifically the socio-cognitive approach to van Dijk (2006, 2008), which is configured in its multidisciplinary approach, from the dimensions social, cognitive and discursive. Through discursive socio-cognitive is that it becomes feasible to scrutinize the political corruption strategy of legitimation among the texts produced in the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, producing group discourse analyzed. Although the theoretical aspect, we propose a link between the Theory of Semantic Blocks of Carel and Ducrot (1997, 2001) and sociocogniÃÃo, thus substantiate the analysis methodology, which investigates the parliamentary discourse legitimizing corruption by arguing the their subjects. The corpus of analysis consists of pronouncements of federal deputies, between the years 2012 and 2013, above âjulgamento do mensalÃoâ, flagship event on the political corruption that led the leaders of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) to condemnation. It is understood that, as a social group, the Chamber of Deputies and the PT, position themselves ideologically and that such a stance is presented in the discourse produced and shared. The discursive legitimation of political corruption produced by a social group is characterized as abuse of power. The sociocogniÃÃo arises in the field of CDS because investigates the ideology of domination from the discursive dimension. The TBS based categories of argumentative analysis necessary to scrutinize the political discourse, from the statements listed by the subjects of discourse. Thus, it is understood that the unveiling of such discourses of legitimation corroborates against a more subtle form of oppression, discursive and ideological.