Proxemy: a model of the structure of lexical networks
Applied to the dynamic acquisition of word meanings in young children

The model of the dynamic acquisition of word meanings in young children is grounded in a system of qualitative and quantitative representation of the principle structures and lexical relationships (polysemy, synonymy, hyperonymy/hyponymy, meronymy, metaphore, semantic field, …) allowing us to compare models with experimentation. As expected, the variability in subject response makes assessing models difficult. For the same experimental protocol, subjects will provide multiple and varied answers, and comparing the responses to those of the model often requires the qualification of the lexical relationship and/or measuring the inter-lexical distance between the various responses: subject/subjects and subjects/model. Within this framework, I will present proxemy as a model of the structure of lexical networks. http://prox.irit.fr.