[developers] Some more information about properties in transfer (idiom) rules

[Francis Bond]

G'day,

while we are discussing transfer rules, I would like to point out that
there are some differences between the implementations in ACE and the
LKB/LOGON.    What combination of things would work and why when dealing
with properties has always been mysterious to me, currently the ACE
implementation seems to behave more as I would expect.

The following rules show a clear difference between the behaviour for ACE
and the LKB:

I am trying to make an entry for the idiom "hold one's horses".

If I make an idiomatic verb:
hold_v1_poss_i := v_np_refl-idm_le &
 [ ORTH < "hold" >,
   SYNSEM [ LKEYS.KEYREL.PRED "_hold_v_ones_i_rel",
            PHON.ONSET con ] ].

And an idiom rule like such:

hold+ones+horses_ir := v_reflnp_idiom_mtr &
    [ INPUT.RELS.LIST < [ PRED "_hold_v_ones_i_rel" ],
                        [ PRED "_horse_n_1_rel"], ... > ].

Then I get idiomatic readings for:
Kim holds her horses.  ([?])
Kim holds her horse.   ([?])
And not for:
Kim holds my horse. ([?])

I would like to only allow the idiomatic reading for the plural case.

I have tried:
----------
hold+ones+horses_ir := v_reflnp_idiom_mtr &
   [ INPUT.RELS.LIST < [ PRED "_hold_v_ones_i_rel" ],
                       [ PRED "_horse_n_1_rel",  ARG0.PNG.PN 3p & #pn], ...
>,
     FLAGS.EQUAL < #pn > ].

Which blocks both singular and plural in the LKB but allows only plural for
ACE.
----------------
hold+ones+horses_ir := v_reflnp_idiom_mtr &
   [ INPUT.RELS.LIST < [ PRED "_hold_v_ones_i_rel" ],
                       [ PRED "_horse_n_1_rel",  ARG0 #x & [PNG.PN 3p ]],
... >,
     FLAGS.EQUAL < #x > ].

Which allows both singular and plural in the LKB but allows only plural for
ACE.
-------------
In fact, you don't even need the FLAGS.EQUAL for ACE:

hold+ones+horses_ir := v_reflnp_idiom_mtr &
   [ INPUT.RELS.LIST < [ PRED "_hold_v_ones_i_rel" ],
                       [ PRED "_horse_n_1_rel",  ARG0.PNG.PN 3p], ... > ].

Which allows both singular and plural in the LKB but allows only plural for
ACE.
-----------------

If anyone has an explanation for this behaviour, I would love to hear it
:-).


-- 
Francis Bond <http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/fcbond/>
Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies
Nanyang Technological University
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