goodmami.org

In order for my project to be able to handle non-Matrix derived grammars, I must provide a typemap that compares the types of the grammar to the Matrix types. The Jacy grammar is a kind of variant of the latest version of the Matrix, so it shouldn't be too hard. However I run into a problem when mapping things like verbs.

Jacy has, for example, intrans-v-stem-lex for intransitive verbs. The Matrix does not have a type for intransitive verbs, but it does have both a basic verb type and a type for intransitive types (be they verbs, adjectives, nouns, or some other head type). I see a few ways to get around this:

1. Abstract to a higher type in the source grammar - This is simple, but would cause much more incorrect projections. We would have to (in this example) say that any verb maps to any other verb--transitive, intransitive, wearing rainbow-colored toe socks, whatever.
2. Map directly to the target grammar instead of the Matrix - This would be easy, but it would not be scalable. The mapping would then only be suitable for this one target grammar.
3. Map the source type to multiple matrix types - This would be a little harder to program, since I would have to make sure that the target type matches multiple parent types simultaneously, but it would be more flexible. However, it makes the assumption that the target grammar implements, for example, intransitive verbs by inheriting from both the verb type and the intransitive type. This may be a valid assumption, if the grammar is a properly implemented Matrix-based grammar.

I'm leaning toward number 3, since it's a little more work and a lot more gain.