Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 18 normal adults as they read sentences that ended with words used literally, metaphorically, or in an intermediate literal mapping condition. In the latter condition, the literal sense of the word was used in a way that prompted readers to map conceptual structure from a different domain. ERPs measured from 300 to 500 msec after the onse...

This paper provides a binary, token-based classification of German particle verbs (PVs) into literal vs. non-literal usage. A random forest improving standard features (e.g., bagof-words; affective ratings) with PV-specific information and abstraction over common nouns significantly outperforms the majority baseline. In addition, PV-specific classification experiments demonstrate the role of sh...

A boolean formula in conjunctive normal form (CNF) F is refuted by literal–once resolution if the empty clause is inferred from F by resolving on each literal of F at most once. Literal–once resolution refutations can be found nondeterministically in polynomial time, though this restricted system is not complete. We show that despite of the weakness of literal–once resolution, the recognition o...

The present study examined the role of the left (LH) and right (RH) cerebral hemispheres in processing alternative meanings of idiomatic sentences. We conducted two experiments using ambiguous idioms with plausible literal interpretations as stimuli. In the first experiment we tested hemispheric differences in accessing either the literal or the idiomatic meaning of idioms for targets presented...

Indirect forms of speech, such as sarcasm, jocularity (joking), and 'white lies' told to spare another's feelings, occur frequently in daily life and are a problem for many clinical populations. During social interactions, information about the literal or nonliteral meaning of a speaker unfolds simultaneously in several communication channels (e.g., linguistic, facial, vocal, and body cues); ho...