Verb Alternations and Japanese : How, What and Where

We set out to empirically identify the range and frequency of basic verb alternation types in Japanese, through analysis of the Goi-Taikei Japanese pattern-based valency dictionary. This is achieved through comparison of the selectional preference annotation on corresponding case slots, based on the assumption that selectional preferences are preserved under alternation. Three separate extraction methods are considered, founded around: (1) simple match of selectional restrictions; (2) selectional restriction matching, with recourse to penalised backing-off; and (3) semantic density, again with recourse to backing-off.