Merging two Ontology-based Lexical Resources

ItalWordNet (IWN) and PAROLE/SIMPLE/CLIPS (PSC), the two largest electronic, general-purpose lexical resources of Italian language present many compatible aspects although they are based on two different lexical models having their own underlying principles and peculiarities. Such compatibility prompted us to study the feasibility of semi-automatically linking and eventually merging the two lexicons. To this purpose, the mapping of the ontologies on which basis both lexicons are structured was performed and the sets of semantic relations enabling to relate lexical units were compared. An overview of this preliminary phase is provided in this paper. The linking methodology and related problematic issues are described. Beyond the advantage for the end user to dispose of a more exhaustive and in-depth lexical information combining the potentialities and most outstanding features offered by the two lexical models, resulting benefits and enhancements for the two resources are illustrated that definitely legitimize the soundness of this linking and merging initiative.