UniDive 3rd general meeting

Event title: UniDive 3rd general meeting

Organisation: HUN-REN Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics, Budapest, Hungary

Location: Benczúr Hotel, Budapest

Dates: 29-30 January 2025 (co-located with a WG2 meeting on 28 Jan 2024)

Local Organizers: Veronika Lipp

More photos from the event are available here.

Program Chairs

Olha Kanishcheva, National Technical University “KhPI” (Ukraine) and Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany)

Veronika Lipp, Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics (Hungary)

Ranka Stanković, University of Belgrade (Serbia)

Invited talk

Martin Haspelmath, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany

Are “words“ important for grammatical dependency analysis?

Traditionally, dependency syntax works with dependencies between “words”, but wordhood has long been recognized as problematic (e.g. Togeby 1949). In this talk, I discuss recent debates about wordhood (e.g. Bickel & Zúñiga 2017) and the role of the “dependency” notion in (morpho)syntax. I note that it has not been very clear how “dependency” is recognized in dependency grammar, and that this has led to debates about the role of function words in dependency trees (Osborne & Gerdes 2019). Likewise, one could suggest that there should be word-internal dependencies analogous to dependencies between function words and content words. I will suggest that the reason for the divergent views is a failure to distinguish clearly between construction-strategies and functionally defined constructions (construction-functions, Haspelmath 2025). What we need for a general-comparative approach is criteria that work equally well for all languages, so that construction-strategies are typically less suitable than construction-functions. This means that a “word” notion is probably not as important as has typically been thought (Haspelmath 2023).

[Handout of the talk]

References

Bickel, Balthasar & Zúñiga, Fernando. 2017. The “word” in polysynthetic languages: Phonological and syntactic challenges. In: Oxford handbook of polysynthesis.

Haspelmath, Martin. 2023. Defining the word. WORD 69(3). 283–297. (doi:10.1080/00437956.2023.2237272)

Haspelmath, Martin. 2025. Construction-functions and construction-strategies. In Däbritz, Chris Lasse & Budzisch, Josefine & Basile, Rodolfo (eds.), Existential and locative constructions. Berlin: Language Science Press (to appear). (https://ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/007897)

Osborne, Timothy & Gerdes, Kim. 2019. The status of function words in dependency grammar: A critique of Universal Dependencies (UD). Glossa: A journal of general linguistics 4(1). 17. (doi:10.5334/gjgl.537)

Togeby, Knud. 1949. Qu’est-ce qu’un mot? In Michael Herslund (ed) 1978. Knud

Togeby: Choix d’articles 1943–1974. Copenhagen: Akademiske Forlag, 51–65.

Venue

The main venues will be in Benczúr Hotel, Benczúr street 33, Budapest, but some sessions will take place at the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics, Benczúr Street 33, Budapest, Hungary. The available rooms are:

In HUN-REN:

auditorium - on 28 Jan

smaller room also available on demand for ad hoc meetings - on 28-30 Jan

In the Benczúr Hotel:

Budapest room (up to 230 people) - on 29-30 Jan

Margaréta room (40 people) - on 30 Jan

Andrássy room (20 people) - on 30 Jan

Mike Imre room (15 people) - on 30 Jan

Program

Day 1 will be dedicated to a WG2 meeting. Day 2 will feature the 3rd UniDive workshop, with an invited talk and posters. To know more about the posters, see the program committee, the call for abstracts, the list of selected abstracts and the instructions for the presenters of abstracts. Day 3 will feature WG sessions.

Tuesday 28 January: WG2 meeting

Location: HUN-REN building (Benczúr street 33, next to the Benczur Hotel), ground floor, auditorium. All sessions are plenary and available on Zoom (Zoom link). Rooms are available for ad hoc parallel sessions.

9:00 – 10:30 (session 1, HUN-REN auditorium) Word - multi-word expressions - constructions. Chair: Simon Krek

3 presentations of the problems

Kertu Saul, Jelena Kallas, Kadri Muischnek, Automatic Detection of Estonian Argument Structure Constructions on the Example of Caused-Motion Verbs (pdf)

Discussion points:

Words as typological units vs. words as annotated units

The role of graphical representation in classifying words

Modelling compounds

MWEs vs. constructions

Functional MWEs vs constructions

Variability in open slots (i.e., different kind of open slots allowed)

10:30-11:00 coffee

11:00 – 12:30 (session 2, HUN-REN auditorium) Lemmatization. Chair: Dan Zeman

3 presentations of the problems (J. Odijk, Canonical forms for MWEs – pdf)

Discussion points:

lemmatization strategies in corpora and lexica

canonical forms of MWEs

standardization of constructions

Levels of lemma abstraction (=superlemma vs. lemma)

Lemma boundaries (=spelling variants, dialects, other forms)

Word vs. lemma (= how Haspelmath's classification impacts the Lemma notion)

12:30-14:00 lunch

14:00 – 15:30 (session 3, HUN-REN auditorium) Lexicon-corpus interface – standardization. Chair: Verginica Mititelu

Discussion plan:

Presentation of Task 2.2

Current status of the corpus

Annotation principles for the various levels <> other tasks

Demo of the annotation tool

MWE dictionaries as Linked Data & Parallel corpus as Linked Data, Use Case on T2.2 corpus (pdf)

15:30-16:00 coffee

16:00 – 17:30 (session 4, HUN-REN auditorium) Lexicon-corpus interface – challenges. Chair: Voula Giouli

2 presentations

Svetlozara Leseva, Ivelina Stoyanova, Semantic Features Relevant for the Disambiguation of Verbs with Respect to their Aspectual Properties

Gražina Korvel, Voula Giouli, Verginica Mititelu, Svetla Peneva Koeva, Irina Lobzhanidze, Giedre Valunaite Oleskeviciene, Raquel Amaro, MWE lexicons in NLP tasks: a survey

Discussions

Wednesday 29 January: 3rd UniDive Workshop

Location: Benczúr hotel (Benczúr street 35). All sessions except the 11th are plenary.

8:30-9:00 registration and poster hanging for session A

9:00-9:30 (session 5, Budapest room, chairs: Veronika Lipp & Agata Savary,Zoom link) opening

welcome

ongoing grant calls

pitch presentations of WGs

information from the Local Organizer

9:30-10:30 (session 6, Budapest room, chair: Kilian Evang, Zoom link) invited talk: Martin Haspelmath (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany)

10:30-11:00 coffee break

11:00-11:30 (session 7, Budapest room, chair: Ranka Stanković, Zoom link) plenary poster presentations A (1 minute per poster)(pdf)

11:30-13:00 (session 8, Budapest room, chair: Olha Kanishcheva) poster session A

13:00-14:30 lunch, poster hanging for session B

14:30-15:00 (session 9, Budapest room, chair: Ranka Stanković, Zoom link) plenary poster presentations B (1 minute per poster)(pdf)

15:00-16:30 (session 10, Budapest room, chair: Olha Kanishcheva) poster session B

16:30-16:45 coffee break

16:45-18:00 (session 11, Margaréta room, chair: Agata Savary) Extended Core Group meeting

19:00 social event (wine cellar, music, wine appetizers) - registration needed

Wine Tasting

Date & Time: 29 January 2025, 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Domus Vinorum, 051 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zs. út 18. (https://www.domusvinorum.hu/)

Ticket Price: 10,000 HUF + VAT (approx. 30 EUR)

What to Expect:

A selection of fine Hungarian wines

Wine appetizers: cheese, sausage, herb butter, vegetables, nuts, scones, fried dough balls with dipping sauce, mineral water, and bread

An English-speaking sommelier to guide us through the tasting

Live music for a vibrant and memorable atmosphere

To participate, please register and purchase your ticket here: https://store.nytud.hun-ren.hu/events/

Thursday 30 January: WG sessions

Location: Benczúr hotel (Benczúr street 35). Margaréta, Andrássy and Mike Imre rooms are available for ad hoc parallel sessions, beyond 9:45-10:30 a.m.

9:00-10:30 (session 12, Budapest room; chairs: Bruno Guillaume & Kaja Dobrovoljc) WG1 session (Detailed program)

9:00-9:45 (Budapest room) Plenary presentation of the ongoing tasks

9:45-10:30 Parallel hands-on sessions

task 1.1 Typology and corpus annotation (Budapest/Andrássy room)

task 1.2 MWE annotation [ slides ] (Budapest/Andrássy room)

task 1.4 File formats for annotation [ slides ] (Margaréta room)

10:30-11:00 coffee break

11:00-12:30 (session 13, Budapest room, chairs: Joakim Nivre & Gülşen Eryiğit) WG3 session - plenary session with breakout group

Report on the shared task on morphosyntactic parsing

Report on the multilinguality survey

Brainstorming about a MWE shared task in 2026

12:30-14:00 lunch

14:00-14:15 group photo

14:15-15:45 (session 14, Budapest room, chairs: Marie-Catherine de Marneffe & Olga Kanishcheva) WG4 session - plenary session [ slides ]

Presentation by Tanja Samardzic of her work calculating the level of linguistic diversity in multilingual NLP datasets [ slides ]

Discussing the definition of diversity in different tasks

15:45-16:15 coffee break

16:15-17:30 (session 15, Budapest room, chairs: Verginica Mititelu & Voula Giouli) WG2 session

Task 2.1 - “wordhood” survey slides

17:30-17:40 (session 16, Budapest room, chairs: Veronika Lipp & Agata Savary) plenary closing session

Directions

The event will take place at: Benczúr Hotel, Budapest

Budapest is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. All relevant information for tourists is available here: https://www.budapest.com/

Getting to Budapest

By plane: The main airport of Hungary is the Liszt Ferenc nemzetközi repülőtér (Budapest Airport, BUD).

By train: If you arrive by train from abroad, your most likely terminal is Keleti Pályaudvar (“Eastern Railway Station”), which is on the M2 (Red Line) of the underground. Take the underground in the direction of “Déli Pályaudvar”, and get off at the stop called “Deák Ferenc tér”. Then you have to choose M1 metro line (Yellow Line) to Bajza utca. The venue is within a five-minute walk.

By bus: If you arrive by coach from abroad, your most likely terminal is Népliget Buszpályaudvar (Népliget coach station), which is on the M3 line (Blue Line) of the underground. Take the underground in the direction of “Újpest-Központ”, and get off at “Deák Ferenc tér”. Then you have to choose M1 metro (Yellow Line) to ”Bajza utca”. The venue is within a five-minute walk.

Getting around in the city

All major public transportation services within Budapest (buses, trams, trolleybuses, and the underground lines, as well as the green suburban trains called HÉV) are operated by the same company, the Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK). Its English-language website can be found here: https://bkk.hu/en/

Please find information about getting from Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport to Hotel Benczúr below.

1) Public transport

From the Airport: Take the 100E airport bus to Deák Ferenc tér (city center). At Deák Ferenc tér: Change to Metro Line 1 (Yellow Line) towards Mexikói út. Stop for Hotel Benczúr: Get off at Bajza utca station, and the hotel is a short walk away. The total travel time is around 45-60 minutes. Tickets can be bought from the BKK (Budapest Public Transport) ticket machines located near the bus stops outside Terminals 2A and 2B. These machines accept both cash (HUF) and cards.

Types of ticket: 100E Airport Shuttle Bus Ticket: For the 100E bus from Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport to the city center, you will need to purchase a special airport shuttle bus single ticket, which costs 2,200 HUF. This ticket is specifically for the 100E bus service and cannot be replaced by regular public transport tickets. The 100E bus operates between the airport and central locations like Deák Ferenc tér, making it the fastest public transport option to reach downtown Budapest.

Metro and Other Public Transport Tickets: After arriving at Deák Ferenc tér, you will need a regular public transport ticket for the metro (or other forms of transportation) to continue your journey to Hotel Benczúr or Ibis Heroes Square. A standard single ticket costs 450 HUF and can be used for a one-way trip on the metro, bus, tram, or trolleybus. These tickets can be purchased from BKK ticket machines, kiosks, or via the BKK mobile app.

Total Cost Estimate: For the full journey from the airport to either hotel, the total cost will be around 2,650 HUF (2,200 HUF for the 100E bus + 450 HUF for the metro ticket). Make sure to purchase your tickets in advance at the BKK ticket machines located at the airport or through the BKK app, as you cannot buy them directly on the bus or metro. It’s important to have your ticket ready before you board the bus, as there are ticket checks.

2) Airport Shuttle

You can also take an Airport Shuttle from the Airport, which is a fixed-price taxi service, operating minibuses that carry 3-8 passengers together. Information: https://www.minibud.hu/

3) Taxi

Upon arriving at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport, you can easily access licensed taxi services to reach their destination. The official taxi company partnered with the airport is Főtaxi, which offers safe, reliable, and regulated taxi services. How to Find a Taxi: The Főtaxi booths are located outside both terminals (Terminal 2A and 2B) at the Arrivals level. You can approach the booth staff, who will assist you in booking a taxi: just say the name of your hotel and you will receive a voucher with your taxi ID number, which, if not there immediately, will arrive shortly.

Metered Fare: All Főtaxi vehicles use regulated meters to calculate the fare based on distance. The base fare is approximately 1,100 HUF, with an additional cost of 440 HUF per kilometer. Waiting times, toll fees, and traffic may slightly influence the final price. Typical Cost to City Center: A ride from the airport to downtown Budapest generally costs between 9,000 HUF and 11,000 HUF (approximately 25-30 EUR), depending on traffic and your final destination.

Payment Options: Cash or card. Taxis accept both Hungarian Forints (HUF) and major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard). Always confirm the payment method with the driver before starting the trip.

Travel Time: The travel time to Budapest City Center (including Hotel Benczúr) is typically around 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic.

IMPORTANT NOTICE! Avoid free lance taxis. Only use the official Főtaxi service or other reputable companies like Uber or Bolt. Free lance taxis may approach travelers offering rides, but make sure to avoid them as they may overcharge or provide an unsafe experience. While Főtaxi does not require pre-booking, you can also book a taxi in advance through their website or app if you prefer.

Accommodation

There are many accommodation options in the area, but it's recommended to book in advance.

If you would like to stay at Hotel Benczúr, please book directly on the hotel's website and send them this booking form once completed.

A map with some hotel recommendations is available here. There are many bed and breakfasts in the area adjacent to the university, but we recommend booking accommodation as early as possible.

Social Events

Wine cellar, music, wine appetizers - registration needed

Wine Tasting

Date & Time: 29 January 2025, 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Domus Vinorum, 051 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zs. út 18. (https://www.domusvinorum.hu/)

Ticket Price: 10,000 HUF + VAT (approx. 30 EUR)

What to Expect:

A selection of fine Hungarian wines

Wine appetizers: cheese, sausage, herb butter, vegetables, nuts, scones, fried dough balls with dipping sauce, mineral water, and bread

An English-speaking sommelier to guide us through the tasting

Live music for a vibrant and memorable atmosphere

To participate, please register and purchase your ticket here: https://store.nytud.hun-ren.hu/events/

Reimbursement

If you are selected by the Core Group to be reimbursement for the meeting, please accept the invitation that will be sent to you via e-COST before the meeting. After the meeting, fill in the reimbursement form that will be available online via the e-COST system and upload all relevant signed documents, as indicated in the reimbursement form. Before making any arrangements PLEASE READ general rules for the reimbursement described in the COST Annotated Rules, Annex A1-3.1 TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT RULES. External members (who have not received the e-COST invitation) can also participate freely but will not be reimbursed for their travel and stay. Those external members should also fill in the registration form (to be published soon).

Expression of interest

If you are willing to participate in the Budapest meeting, please, fill in the expression of interest form best before Monday the 11th of November.

Please, note that filling in this form does not ensure you an official invite to the meeting or reimbursement of your travel and stay. Decisions about reimbursements will be made starting in November.