SpiegelnParaphrasieren

SpiegelnParaphrasieren is a term used in linguistics and language technology to describe a method that combines paraphrasing with mirroring to produce semantically equivalent alternative utterances. The term blends Spiegeln (to mirror or reflect) with Paraphrasieren (to paraphrase). In practice, this approach seeks to preserve meaning while simultaneously altering syntactic structure, voice, perspective, or emphasis.

The typical process involves three steps: first, generate a paraphrase that preserves the core proposition; second, apply a spiegelnde transformation that inverts or reorders elements (for example switching active to passive voice, or shifting focus from agent to theme); third, validate that the final form remains semantically equivalent within a given context and register.

Common mirroring strategies include structural mirroring (active to passive, clause-first to clause-second), perspective mirroring (agent-focused to patient-focused), and stylistic mirroring (neutral to more formal or informal). Example: Original: "Die Wissenschaftler untersuchen die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels." Paraphrase: "Die Forscher analysieren die Folgen des Klimawandels." SpiegelnParaphrase: "Die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels werden von den Wissenschaftlern untersucht." Another example: "Der Bericht beschreibt die Ergebnisse der Studie." Paraphrase: "Der Bericht fasst die Ergebnisse der Studie zusammen." SpiegelnParaphrase: "Die Ergebnisse der Studie werden im Bericht beschrieben."

Applications of SpiegelnParaphrasieren appear in language teaching, translation studies, and natural language processing for data augmentation and evaluation of semantic equivalence. Limitations include potential drift in nuance and the need for human review in sensitive texts.