Database Reference
In-Depth Information
11.2 Direct Speech in Statement Dialogue
One aspect in which statement dialogues differ from question and request dia-
logues is the interpretation of moi and toi in direct (quoted) speech. Consider
the following example:
11.2.1 D IRECT SPEECH IN A STATEMENT CONTENT
John said to Mary: moi love toi . Mary said to John: moi love toi . STAR 1
The indexicals moi and toi are not interpreted relative to the A and R values of
the STAR, in contradistinction to the statement dialogue in Sect. 10.3. Instead,
they are interpreted relative to the subject and the object of the sentence into
which they are embedded. Consider the following representation of the content
11.2.1 as a set of proplets:
11.2.2 R EPRESENTING THE CONTENT OF 11.2.1 AS A SET OF PROPLETS
verb: say
arg: John to_Mary (love 24)
nc: (say 25)
prn: 23
verb: love
arg: moi toi
fnc: (say 23)
prn: 24
noun: John
fnc: say
prn: 23
adj: to_Mary
fnc: say
prn: 23
noun: moi
fnc: love
prn: 24
noun: toi
fnc: love
prn: 24
verb: say
arg: Mary to_John (love 26)
pc: (say 23)
prn: 25
verb: love
arg: moi toi
fnc: (say 25)
prn: 26
noun: Mary
fnc: say
prn: 25
adj: to_John
fnc: say
prn: 25
noun: moi
fnc: love
prn: 26
noun: toi
fnc: love
prn: 26
The propositions 23 and 25 are connected by the nc/pc values of the two say
proplets. The two matrix propositions treat their quotation like a sentential
object (7.5.1, 11.4.5, 11.4.6); the relation to the matrix verb is coded by the
additional fnc attributes in the two instances of love , which take the core and
the prn value of the associated matrix verb as their value.
For storage in the hearer/reader's Word Bank, the content as specified in
11.2.2 remains unchanged: in contradistinction to 10.3.4, there is no rein-
terpretation of the moi and toi indexicals. The STAR-1 attributed by the
hearer/reader to the speaker/writer, however, is changed to the STAR-2 of the
hearer/reader in accordance with the STAR-2.2 inference defined in 10.3.6.
Nevertheless, in order to properly grasp the content of 11.2.2, the hearer must
be able to know who the different occurrences of moi and toi refer to. In an
artificial agent, this may be accomplished by the following inference:
11.2.3 STAR-2.5 INFERENCE INTERPRETING moi / toi IN QUOTED SPEECH
verb:
β
arg: X α Y
fnc: ( γ K-1)
verb:
γ
arg: U
noun:
α
where α {moi, toi}
and γ {say, tell, ...}
if U = NIL, then δ = moi
otherwise, δ = toi
δ
Z(
β
K)
fnc:
β
prn: K
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