Fw_seq doesn't offer parse with `quoted` predications for "where is '/'"

#1

The 2020 ERG produces 4 parses for:

Where is “/”?

But none of them include a quoted predication (from pydelphin output):

<MRS object (loc_nonsp place_n which_q proper_q fw_seq _and_c) at 140478016047696>
<MRS object (loc_nonsp place_n which_q proper_q fw_seq _/_a_1) at 140478016780656>
<MRS object (loc_nonsp place_n which_q proper_q fw_seq _per_p udef_q) at 140478016780544>
<MRS object (loc_nonsp place_n which_q proper_q fw_seq _per_p) at 140478016780432>

Is this a bug or is there something else at work here?

This phrase is a simpler (in terms of parses) version of “go to ‘/’” (which has the same problem) that I’m trying to interpret in a documentation sample for an English interface to a file system.

#2

Another example:

copy “/Desktop/blue” in “/documents”

Generates 732 Parses in ERG 2020, but the only quoted predication that appears in them is this one:

[ quoted<25:35> LBL: h24 ARG0: i25 CARG: "/documents" ]

And they only get a fw_seq predication that references that predication as well. The ERG doesn’t seem to be recognizing “/Desktop/blue” as a fw_seq…

#3

One more piece of data here: changing all / to \ in all the text I’ve tried (including the above examples) generates the alternatives I’d expect, except for “\” (single backslash in quotes) which still doesn’t get quoted.

#4

You are right that the treatment of the slash character in 2020 does not accommodate its participation in “foreign-word” sequences. The bug is now fixed in the upcoming 2023 release of the ERG.

1 Like