Specialized languages can activate different sets of semantic features when compared to general language or express concepts through different words according to the domain. The specialized lexicon, i.e., lexical units that denote more specific concepts and knowledge emerging from specific domains, however, co-exists with the common lexicon, i.e., the set of lexical units that denote concepts and knowledge shared by the average speakers, regardless of their specific training or expertise. Communication between specialists and non-specialists can show a big gap between language(s), and therefore lexical units, used by the two groups. However, quite often, semantic and conceptual overlapping between specialized and common lexical units occurs and, in many cases, the specialized and common units refer to close concepts or even point to the same reality. Considering the modeling of meaning in functional lexical resources, this paper puts forth a solution that links common and specialized lexica within the WordNet model framework. We propose a new relation expressing semantic proximity between common and specialized units and define the conditions for its establishment. Besides contributing to the observation and understanding of the process of knowledge specialization and its reflex on the lexicon, the proposed relation allows for the integration of specialized and non-specialized lexicons into a single database, contributing directly to improving communication in specialist/non-specialist contexts, such as teaching–learning situations or health professional-patient interactions, among many others, where code-switching is frequent and necessary.

Wafa Aissa, Raquel Amaro, David Antunes, Thibault Bañeras-Roux, Jorge Baptista, Alejandro Catala, Luís Correia, Thomas François, Marcos Garcia, Mario Izquierdo-Álvarez, Nuno Mamede, Vasco Martins, Miguel Neves, Eugénio Ribeiro, Sandra Rodriguez Rey, Elodie Vanzeveren. Proceedings of the 2025 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing: System Demonstrations. 2025.