[lojban] Re: Lexing text with {fa'o} and {zoi} in it

[Robin Lee Powell <lojban-out@lojban.org>]

On Sun, Feb 02, 2003 at 12:59:24AM -0500, Pierre Abbat wrote:
> Is this a correct way of lexing zoi-quotes?:
> 
> 1.  Scan the line from left to right. Convert all spaces to pauses
>
> 2.  Break at all pauses (cannot pause in the middle of a word).
>
> 3. If the FAhO flag is set, resolve the piece as foreign text and skip
> to step 9.
>
> 4. If the ZOI flag is set:
>
>   A. If the beginning of the current unresolved piece matches the
>   delimiter (which is the value of the ZOI flag), ignoring commas and
>   capitalization, break the current piece after the delimiter (if
>   there is anything after it), resolve it as the ending delimiter, and
>   clear the ZOI flag.
>
> 5.  Pick the first piece that has not been resolved.
>
>   A.  If the piece ends in a consonant...
>
>   B.  If the piece ends in 'y'...
>
>   C.  If the piece does not end in 'y' or a consonant and has no
>   consonant...
>
>   D.  If the piece contains 'y' and no consonant following the last
>   'y' is...
>
>   E.  If the piece contains a consonant followed two letters later,
>   not...

Followed by what two letters later?

I assume all the ellipses are resolved elsewhere?

> 6. If the piece is a cmavo of selma'o ZOI and the ZO flag is clear,
> resolve the next piece as the starting delimiter and set the ZOI flag
> to a copy of it.
>
> 7. If the piece is a cmavo of selma'o FAhO and the ZO flag is clear,
> set the FAhO flag.
>
> 8. If the piece is a cmavo of selma'o ZO and the ZO flag is clear, set
> the ZO flag; otherwise clear the ZO flag.

Seems like it would be simpler if Step 3 was:

"If the ZO flag is set, lex the piece and clear the ZO flag", or
something like that.

Then you'd only have to say it once.

> 9.  If there are any more pieces unresolved, return to step 3.
> 
> According to 19:10, if {le'u} appears in a {zoi} quotation which is
> inside a {lo'u} quotation, the {lo'u} quotation is prematurely
> terminated. If the {le'u} is not surrounded by pauses, I don't see how
> that can work. For instance:
> /lo'ugA'ocUskuzoixy.vaiic.alE'umal`asOt.xy.axacuEroc.le'u/ The {le'u}
> inside the {zoi} quotation is embedded in the Hebrew word
> "wayish'alehu", which, being inside a {zoi} quotation, is not
> attempted to lex (and if it did, it would choke on the `ayin of "mah
> l`asot").

Wow.  Yeah, there's no way that can work.

> Chapter 21, step 2, says that the word following {zoi} *should* be
> delimited with a pause, not that it *must*. If it is not delimited
> with a pause, this can cause text to be lexed that is part of the
> quotation. For instance: /zoiladjAn.bagram.ladjAn/ is lexed as {zoi la
> djan. bagram. la djan.}. 

I'm sory; what is the delimiter in that case?  la?

> Conversely, two words could be taken as the delimiter, as in
> /zoi.flAlukAvbu.../ that I mentioned before. Should the word be
> changed to "must"?

Seems like it to me.

-Robin

-- 
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