FR2575309A1 - Electronic French dictionary - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic French dictionary intended to be used in a French text processing system, comprising a first memory storage means 4a allowing the inflection rules to be stored according to gender and/or the number of the subject in question relating to French nouns and/or adjectives; a second memory storage means 4b making it possible to store rules valid for the exceptions relating to nouns and/or adjectives whose suffice inflections may following a particular rule, but a rule which is common to several nouns and/or adjectives although they do not follow the abovementioned rule; and a third memory storage means 4ci, 4cii, 4ciii, 4civ making it possible to store in memory, word by word, the suffix inflections of particular nouns and/or adjectives whose inflections do not follow a rule from among all the nouns and adjectives.

Description

 The present invention relates to an electronic French shareholder in which the inflections according to the number and the genre are recorded, as is appropriate for a text processing system in French, for example a processor for French word processing, a translation device automatic, etc.

 Typically, for example in a processor for English word processor, it is used an electronic dictionary of English words for the verification of spelling.

 When comparing English grammar with French grammar, French grammar is far more complicated. If we now consider names and adjectives, in English, only nouns have inflections for the number (inflections according to the number of the subject considered) and almost all have regular inflections. However, in French, nouns like adjectives have inflections for the number, and, moreover, most of them are irregular.

Moreover, in French, nouns and adjectives have inflections for the genre (inflections according to the gender of the subject considered) and a part of them follow completely irregular inflectional rules.

 However, all of the above inflections for nouns and adjectives are not enumerated in a similar dictionary that is ordinarily available.

 Although it is possible to search for inflections in the ordinary French dictionary, it takes a long enough time to do so.

 In recent times, a French language processing system has been developed. From this point of view, one can expect to have an electronic French dictionary that can correctly and quickly provide the inflections of nouns and adjectives. However, # since the inflections of nouns and adjectives are very complicated in French, as indicated above, the capacity of the dictionary must be considerably increased.

 A main aim of the invention is to propose an electronic French dictionary which can record with a small capacity the inflections of French nouns and adjectives.

 According to the invention, there is provided an electronic French dictionary to be used in a French word processing system, comprising a first memory means making it possible to memorize flexional rules according to the genre and, or, the number for the subject considered. among French nouns and adjectives, a second means of memorization for memorizing rules followed by exceptions for nouns and adjectives whose suffixal inflections may follow one rule among all nouns and adjectives that do not follow the rule above-mentioned, and a third means of memorization for memorizing, word for word, the suffix inflections of particular names or adjectives whose inflections can not follow a rule.

The following illustrative description of the invention is intended to provide a better understanding of its features and advantages; it is based on the attached drawings, among which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the normal structure of a French word processing system according to the invention; and
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the process followed when the text processing system presented in FIG. 1 is applied to a machine teaching French.

 Hereinafter, we will describe a normal structure for a French word processing system according to the invention.

 As represented in FIG. 1, said text processing system consists of an input device 1, a storage means 2, an output device 3, an electronic French word dictionary 4 and control means 5.

 The input device is intended to receive data in the form of characters, words and necessary parameters, and it can be a keyboard a table provided with a pencil, an optical character reader (OCR), a magnetic strip, etc.

 The storage means 2 is intended to store the data in the form of characters and words applied from the input device 1 and to format and synthesize the data in relation with data extracted from the dictionary 4. It may be a toroidal memory, an integrated circuit memory, a magnetic disk, etc.

 The output device 3 is intended to deliver character data that has been stored, shaped and / or synthesized in the storage means 2.

It can be a printer, a display, etc.

 The French word dictionary 4 is a means of memorization in which data has been stored in a well organized manner such that the dictionary is able to provide name and adjective inflections which are necessary from the form data. of characters and parameters of the storage means 2, and this, in an efficient manner. It can be toroidal memory, IC memory, etc. In addition, this system can also produce an electronic dictionary that provides verb inflections, etc.

 The control device 5 controls the transmission of signals between these devices and, or, means It can be a computer or similar means.

 A machine for teaching French, such as a word processing system, which comprises, as an input device 1, for example a keyboard, and as an output device 3, for example a display device, is considered. In the machine to teach French, when a row of characters that indicates the original form of one of the French nouns and adjectives and one or more parameters indicating or designating inflections (feminine singular, masculine plural or feminine plural) which correspond to said original form (masculine singular), are introduced via the input device 1, a row of characters representing the corresponding inflections is displayed on the output device 3. We will now describe the structure of the dictionary 4 in a more particular way .

 As shown in FIG. 1, the dictionary 4 has a memory zone 4a which stores regular or general rules, a memory zone 4b which stores rules followed by the exceptions, and a memory zone 4c which stores data. irregularities for which it is impossible to give a rule.

The memory area 4a has the following rules I and II according to which the inflections corresponding to the type and number of a French name or adjective are designated
Rule I (flexion according to gender)
We add "e" to the ending of the masculine form to get the feminine form of all the adjectives and names of sexual beings that represent people, as well as a small number of animals.

Rule II (flexion according to the number)
Add "s" to the ending of the singular form to obtain the plural form of all countable object names and all adjectives.

 The memory area 4b has rules for nouns and adjectives whose suffix inflections can follow a rule applying to several nouns and adjectives while not subject to the rules I and II mentioned above.

Thus, most suffix inflections of nouns and adjectives whose masculine form or singular form have a particular suffix may be subject to the use of this rule.

 Tables 1 and 2 show the representative rules for exceptions, respectively for flexures by gender and number. For example, Rule I for Exceptions in Table 1 states that when the masculine form of each noun and / or adjective ends in "eM, the female form must end with" e ", unlike the general rule.

Rule II for exceptions says that when the masculine form of each of the nouns and adjectives ends in "el" or "water", the feminine form must end with "she". On this basis, the suffixes "e", "el", "water", etc., indicated in the column of the masculine suffix of Table 1 are referred to the particular suffixes of the first type, and the suffixes "s", "x" , "z", etc., indicated in the singular suffix column of Table 2 are referred to the particular suffixes of the second type.

Table 1
Rule followed by the excuses for the
flexion according to the kind.

<Tb>

<SEP> Rule followed by <SEP><SEP> Type <SEP><SEP> Term <SEP> Suffix <SEP><SEP> Suffix
<tb> by <SEP> the <SEP> exception <SEP> considered <SEP> mascuLin <SEP> female
<tb> tions <SEP>
<tb><SEP> I <SEP> n, <SEP> adj <SEP> -e <SEP> -e
<tb><SEP> It <SEP> n, <SEP> adj <SEP> -el, # - water <SEP><SEP> -it <SEP>
<tb><SEP> -en <SEP> -enne
<tb><SEP> III <SEP> n, <SEP> adj
<tb><SEP> -on <SEP> -on
<tb><SEP> IV <SEP><SEP> n, <SEP> adj <SEP> -and <SEP> -t
<tb><SEP> V <SEP> n, <SEP> adj <SEP> -er <SEP> -ere
<tb><SEP> VI <SEP> n, <SEP> adj <SEP> -x <SEP> -se
<tb><SEP> VII <SEP> n, <SEP> adj <SEP> -f <SEP> -ve
<tb><SEP> n <SEP> -p <SEP><SEP> -ve
<tb><SEP> VIII <SEP> n <SEP> adj <SEP> -c <SEP> -que
<tb><SEP> IX <SEP><SEP> adj <SEP> -g <SEP><SEP>
<tb><SEP> X <SEP> adj <SEP> | <SEP> -gu <SEP> -gue <SEP>
<Tb>
Note: n = noun, adj = adjective
Table 2
Rule followed by the exceptions for the
flexion according to the number

<tb> rule <SEP> followed by <SEP> with <SEP> Type <SEP> of <SEP> term <SEP> Suffix <SEP> of <SEP><SEP> suffix
<tb> the <SEP> exceptions <SEP> considered <SEP> male <SEP> female
<tb><SEP> XI <SEP> ~ <SEP><SEP> -x <SEP> -x
<tb><SEP> n <SEP> -z <SEP> -z
<tb><SEP> n, <SEP> adj <SEP> -on <SEP> - <SEP> -aux <SEP>
<tb><SEP> XII <SEP> -water <SEP> -water
<tb><SEP> n <SEP> -in <SEP> -aux
<tb><SEP> XIII <SEP> n, <SEP> adj <SEP> -eu <SEP>
<tb><SEP> n <SEP> -oeu <SEP> -Others
<tb><SEP> XIV <SEP> n <SEP> adj <SEP> -al <SEP><SEP> -aux
<Tb>
Note: n = noun, adj = adjective.

 The rule for exceptions will be meaningless if many words are irregular without following the exception rule while having the particular suffixes of the first or second type. However, as is clear from Table 3, there are few words that do not follow the rules applicable to exceptions, for example in the case of Rule XII ("to" -> "to"), where There is only one, in the case of Rule XIII ("eu", "them"), where there are two, and in the case of Rule XIV, where there are eight.

Thus, the rules for exceptions as mentioned above, can very effectively reduce the capacity of the dictionary.

Table 3
Exceptions to exception rules

<tb><SEP> Rule <SEP> followed <SEP> with <SEP> Form <SEP> of <SEP> Form <SEP> of
<tb><SEP> The <SEP> exceptions <SEP> singular <SEP> plural
<tb><SEP> XXII <SEP> Landau <SEP> Landaus
<tb> (-au <SEP>---> -aux)
<tb><SEP> XIII <SEP> blue <SEP> blue
<tb> (-eu <SEP> 3-them) <SEP><SEP> tire <SEP> tires
<tb><SEP> bal <SEP> - <SEP><SEP> balls
<tb><SEP> jackal <SEP> jackals <SEP>
<tb><SEP> cal <SEP> call
<tb><SEP> XIV <SEP><SEP> Carnival <SEP> carnivals
<tb> (-al <SEP><SEP>"<SEP> -aux) <SEP><SEP> festival <SEP> - <SEP> - <SEP> festivals
<tb><SEP> Treatments <SEP><SEP> - <SEP><SEP> Treatments <SEP><SEP> 3 <SEP>
<tb><SEP> choral <SEP> chorals
<tb><SEP> recital <SEP> recitals
<Tb>
The memory area 4c has four areas 4ci to 4civ.

 (i) In the first zone 4ci, are memorized word by word the suffixes of the initial form and the form of the feminine singular nouns and adjectives that behave erratically without following the rules for exceptions I to X whereas they can be The first type of particular suffixes, namely "e", "el", "water", etc.

 (ii) In the second zone 4cii, the suffixes of the singular feminine form and of the original form of the irregular words of the second type (those which follow the said rule I) are memorized verbatim among the nouns and adjectives which do not possess not the particular suffixes of the first type.

(iii) In the third 4ciii, the suffixes of the plural masculine form and of the original form of the irregular words of the third type are memorized (those which behave irregularly without following the rules XI to XIV while they possess the second suffixes particulars "s", "x", "z", etc.), as shown in Table 3
(iv) In the fourth zone 4civ, are memorized verbatim the suffixes of the plural masculine form and irregular words of the fourth type (those which do not follow the rule II mentioned above) among the words which do not possess the second particular suffixes.

 We will describe below a process of walking a machine to teach French according to the flowchart shown in Figure 2.

 (i) First, by the input device 1, we introduce the spelling of the original word form and the various types of parameters, namely the parameters that indicate whether it is a noun to be sexed or not, whether it is a countable object name or not, whether it is an adjective describing a quality or not, as well as the desired form of inflections.

 (ii) Then, in step S1, it is decided whether or not the bending due to the gender for the introduced word is considered as a function of the parameters applied. If there is no gender-related flexion, the process proceeds to step S1 by skipping the steps of the gender-flexing treatment.

Even if there was a flexion due to gender, when the required flexion is in the form of the plural masculine, the process proceeds to step S11 since the treatment of gender flexion is not necessary.

 (iii) When there is a gender flexion and, in addition, the required flexion is the feminine singular or the feminine plural, the process proceeds to step S2. In steps S2 to S4, it is decided whether or not the entered word has one of the particular suffixes of the first type "e", "I", ..., "gu" which are stored in the second memory area 4b of the dictionary 4. If it has the particular suffix of the first type, the process proceeds to step S5, since it is assumed that the gender bending of the introduced word is not subject to rule I mentioned above. .

 (iv) In step S5, the introduced word is compared with the irregular words of the first type which are stored in the first zone 4ci of the dictionary 4. If the introduced word is an irregular word of the first type, the suffix of the singular feminine said irregular word is read in the first area 4ci during step S6. Then, in the storage means 2, said suffix is synthesized with the original form for processing the bending of the genre relating to any word.

 (v) If the introduced word is not an irregular word of the first type, the appropriate suffix of the singular feminine according to the exception rule is read in the memory area 4b in step S7. Then, in the memory means 2, this suffix is synthesized with the original form for the treatment of the genre bending considered.

 (vi) If the entered word does not have a first particular suffix of the first type, the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, it is decided whether or not the introduced word is an irregular word of the second type stored in the second zone 4cii of the dictionary 4.

 (vii) If it is an irregular word of the second type, the suffix of the singular feminine of said irregular word is read in the second zone 4cii during step S9. Then, in the memory means 2, the bending of the kind is performed.

 (viii) If it is not an irregular word of the second type, the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the female singular suffix according to rule I is read in the memory zone 4a of the dictionary. Then, in the memory means 2, the gender bending is applied.

 (ix) In step S11, it is decided whether or not there is flexion due to the number according to the parameters introduced.

If there is no number bending, the process proceeds to step S21 without dealing with number bending. In addition, if the shape required for bending is the singular feminine, the process proceeds to step 21, since flexion due to the number does not need to be treated.

 (x) If there is flexion due to the number and, in addition, the required flexion is masculine or feminine plural, the process proceeds to step S12. In steps S12 to S14, it is decided whether or not the introduced word has one of the particular suffixes "s", "water", ..., "al" of the second type stored in the second zone 4b.

 (xi) If the entered word has a particular suffix of the second type, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, it is decided whether or not the introduced word is an irregular word of the third type stored in the third zone 4ciii. If this is not the case, the bending of the number of said irregular word is read in the third zone 4ciii during step S16. Then, in the storage means 2, the number bending is applied.

 (xii) If the entered word is not an irregular word of the third type, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the appropriate exception rule is read in the second zone 4b. Then, in the storage means 2, the flexing due to the number is applied.

 (xiii) If the entered word does not have a particular suffix of the second type, the process proceeds to step S18. In step S18, it is decided whether or not the entered word is an irregular word of the fourth type stored in the fourth zone 4civ.

 (xiv) If the word is an irregular word of the fourth type, the process proceeds to step S19. In step S19, the bending due to the number for the irregular word considered is read in the fourth zone 4civ. Then, in the storage means 2, the flexing due to the number is performed.

 (xv) If it is not an irregular word of the fourth type, the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, the number bending is performed according to the rule II stored in the memory area 4a.

 (xvi) In step S21, the address of the storage means 2 to which the character row representing the desired bending has been introduced is supplied to the control means 5 to display said bending on the output device 3.

 We will now summarize the organization chart. Via steps S1 to S10, it is first decided whether or not the introduced word has a gender flexion. If he has this flexion, it is then decided whether or not he has a particular suffix of the first type and, furthermore, it is decided whether or not it is an irregular word. It is ultimately classified into one of four groups, and gender flexion is performed according to the group's properties.

 In the following steps S1 to S20, it is decided whether or not the introduced word has a number bending. If he has this flexion, it is decided whether or not he has a particular suffix of the second type and, furthermore, it is decided whether or not it is an irregular word. At the end, it is classified in one of the four groups, and number bending is processed according to the properties of the group.

 In the embodiment mentioned above, it has mainly been described a machine to teach French with the dictionary 4, but the electronic dictionary of French words 4 according to the invention can be used for various types of work, for example verification spelling, in the word processing system, for example a French word processing processor, which deals with various types of work relating to the French language.

 Of course, those skilled in the art will be able to imagine, from the device whose description has been given merely by way of illustration and by no means as a limitation, various variants and modifications that are not outside the scope of the invention. .

Claims (1)

 CLAIM  Electronic French dictionary for use in a French word processing system, characterized in that it comprises  a first memory means (4a) for memorizing flexional rules according to the genre and, or, the number of the subject considered relative to nouns and / or French adjectives;  a second storage means (4b) for storing rules valid for the exceptions with respect to nouns and / or adjectives whose suffixal inflections can follow a particular rule, but common among several nouns and, or, adjectives then that they do not follow the rule mentioned above; and  a third memory means (4ci, 4cii, 4ciii, 4civ) making it possible to memorize, word by word, the suffix inflections of nouns and, or, of particular adjectives whose inflections do not follow a rule among all the nouns and adjective.