Meeting_2009-08-24

• Date: 24.8.2009
• Time: 09.30 Norw. time
• Place: Internet
• Tools: SubEthaEdit, iChat

Cf. one of the following, depending on context:

• the upper bar of the SEE window (provided you use the JSPWiki syntax mode)
• the TOC in Forrest-rendered output, like HTML and PDF

Opened at 09: 48.

Present: Børre, Ciprian, Maja, Sjur, Thomas, Tomi, Trond

Absent: none

Agenda accepted as is.

Børre

• fix screen sharing problem on Maja's computer
  • not done
• improve XSL script to transform leaflet Forrest XDocs to an OOo Draw document
  • not done
• gt/Makefile remake
  • nothing done
• Set up the apache server for the risten.no beta on the linux box + Xserve.
  • nothing done
• get translations of thank-you letter
  • nothing done
• fix bugs!
• other:
  • been working on static i18n divvun site

Ciprian

• Check for IP numbers in the Oahpa! log
  • ongoing
• transform the Sami Law Terms DB (SLT-DB) into an eXist-usable format
  • stopped (low priority)
• make eXist running with the SLT-DB
  • stopped
• make a schema/dtd description of the lexC-file (experiment with Romanian)
  • todo
• transform sme-lexC files into XML format
  • todo
• add an Oahpa clock excercise
  • installed Oahpa locally
  • started to create two new Oahpa-variants:
    • Sandbox-Oahpa for Trond, Lene further development
    • Train-the-trainer-Oahpa for the winter workshop in Bodø
• restructure and clean the script catalogue, using subdirs
  • nothing new
• check the processing of new corpus documents (error logging during conversion, conversion quality, documentation, etc.)
  • todo
• continue the search and testing of an appropriate tool for lexicon working (no xml-file editing via text editors!)
  • stopped (low priority)
• incorporate the passives into the last version of the sme: nob
  • todo: advice from Lene is needed
• continue the work at the Kildin-Russian dictionary
  • stopped (low priority)
• check the possible bug in the sma: nob-swe dictionary
  • todo
• fix the bug with the string length in the popup window (sma: nob)
  • todo
• try to reduce the dict-size on mac: experiment with xPointer, etc.
  • todo
• fix bugs!
  • todo

Maja

• Prepare text´s about normativity issue to SGL/SGM
  • working on it
• more work on sma adjectives
  • working on it
• Send Lena Kappfjell and Harald Gaski a contract
  • not done yet
• Send formal letter to Gerd Pärsson about the book Eahperestujmie
  • not done
• digitize southsámi books
  • not done
• work with missing lists- southsámi
  • working on it

Sjur

• make Leif Åge send out CD's to distribution points
  • not done
• start Nordplus Sprog project
  • not done
• send eXist log files to Ciprian
  • not done
• finalise formal letter to Laila Mattsson-Magga with Maja
  • not done
• Write a formal letter to Davvi girji about electronic dictionaries
  • not done
• package and deliver sma proofing tools (with Tomi)
  • worked on Polderland downloads
• make XSL script to transform leaflet Forrest XDocs to an OOo Drawer document
  • not done
• continue to write a proofing API & implementation specification
  • not done
• name db/risten.no
  • not done
• follow-up on some Polderland-related bugs: 621, 630, 652
  • not done
• support and maintenance contract for sme and smj, MS+Adobe tools
  • waiting for PL
• Sámi languages as part of Norsk språkbank
  • not done
• set up risten.no on eXist/XServe (as a beta version site)
  • not done
• set up required infra for smenob on risten.no/XServe
  • not done
• sma umlaut / derivation work
  • not done
• fix bugs!
  • not done
• other tasks:
  • a lot of bureaucratic work with Norwegian and Finnish government agencies
  • started to turn the iCal feature in our meeting notes into a real Forrest plugin. This is in preparation to an upgrade that should streamline the meeting minutes quite a bit, by doing away with the task lists at the beginning and the end - all will be maintained directly in the memo body. This will also save me a lot of repeating work.

Thomas

• prepare text´s about normativity issue to SGL/SGM
  • worked
• sma adjectives
  • nothing this week
• finish reformulating the proper noun grammar like the verbs
  • not yet
• fix bugs!
  • nothing this week

Tomi

• package and deliver sma proofing tools (with Sjur)
  • not done
• document how compounding is controlled in the PLX conversion
  • not done
• fix double hyphen bugs
  • not done
• fix PL hyphenator bugs
  • not done
• fix PL and Hunspell conversion bugs
  • worked with
• infrastructure remake
  • not done
• sma umlaut / derivation work
  • not done
• fix bugs!

Trond

• make Lene et al run the gtsetup.sh script
  • Awaiting her new machine.
• tts startup (with Sjur)
  • Date fixed, we are on "go", starting September 1st.
• sma proper noun grammar (with the rest of the sma gang)
  • Nothing here last week.
• fix bugs!.

Ciprian now able to install Oahpa! locally. He is making three versions: the official public version, a developer sandbox for playing with new features, new languages, etc, and a minimal version for Bodø. The Bodø version will contain only two plays: MorfaS and Lexa and should be configurable for adding new language pairs, and it should contain a login and perhaps a file upload mechanism for the students.

Meeting memos can be found at http://giellatekno.uit.no/ped/index.html#Meeting+memos

TODO

• Register oahpa.no (Trond)
• Check for IP numbers in the log (Ciprian, Trond)

TODO:

• Which books are digitized?
  • These books should be OCR'ed/digitized: Anna Jacobsens books Don jih dan bïjre I-III, Jupmele rïjhke lea gietskesne, Luste lohkedh, Duedtie Novrlaantesne, Naestie-tjoevkesne, Gullie-tjååtsele.
  • Its not digitized yet, should do it this week. A. Jacobsen: Goltelidh jih soptestidh and Mojhtesh are already in electronic form
  • use the corpus gathering document to keep track of each book
• continue gathering sma corpus texts (Maja)
  • get sma articles in Š-bláđđi
  • Are these ok?
  • the Gun Utsi book is almost there - one contract missing (Jovsset)
    • will meet with the translator in July, and get the signature then
• read formal letter to Laila Mattsson-Magga by David (Sjur)
• write formal letter to Davvi Girji (Sjur)
• send a copy of the signed contracts back to the authors, translators and publishers, accompanied by a thank-you letter
  • write thank-you letter (Børre, Maja)
  • done

Question about the download log. Do we have it? yes, but the public listing isn't up-to-date. Børre will update it.

TODO:

• make leaflet to inform about the project (Børre)
  • add InDesign text (Sjur)
  • make XSL script to transform Forrest XDocs to an OOo Drawer document ( Børre, Sjur)
• distribute CD version through the library bus, the language centres and common sami centres in all of Sápmi. Gaaltije in Östersund for example. ( Leif Åge, Sjur)
  • make him send out CD's accordingly (Sjur)
• update online download log statistics page (Børre)

See a separate document in plan/strat/5year.jspwiki.

Northern areas project

TODO:

• Attend a beginners' course in Russian (priority: the alphabet!) near you..
• Keep potential key personel alert
• To a certain extent plan for The Thing

To accomodate future enhancements in different directions (in rough order of importance):

1. test bench for all parts of our language technology efforts
   1. test bench enhanced, but not yet complet
2. set up the Leopard Server features for collaborative support:
   1. permanent chat rooms
   2. stored (and indexed) chat transcripts of the chat rooms
   3. iCal server / group calendars
   4. wiki
3. wiki? on G5 (is part of Leopard Server) or other web-based documentation
4. improve Forrest stability and i18n support ( the divvun crashes)
   1. Sjur has been working on better i18n and pdf rendering
   2. Børre has some ideas for getting back to serving static html files
5. reorganise the documentation:
   1. differ between target groups
   2. get better grouping
   3. decide what to write in forrest and what in wiki (cf. Apertium and http://xixona.dlsi.ua.es/apertium/) for a similar split)
   4. update/add missing parts
6. migrate lexc lexicons to XML, splitting the task
   1. Name lexica (the Name project)
   2. Dictionaries (already in XML, task is to integrate them)
   3. At least migrate the lexc open POSes (Komi as a pilot case)
7. change the look of the documentation web
8. use HFST as alternative to XFST
9. corpus content moved to Max Planck repositories? Norsk språkbank?
10. update infrastructure to allow content-restricted spellers for special target groups

TODO:

• ask Lene, Linda to install Mikogo (Trond)
• fix screen sharing problem on Maja's computer (Børre)
  • not yet
• fix remaining issues in the gtsetup.sh script (Sjur)
• run the gtsetup script (Lene, Linda)
• restructure and clean the script catalogue, using subdirs to categorise the scripts (Ciprian)
  • almost done with the analysis of the directory
• infrastructure remake: ( Børre, Ciprian, Saara, Sjur, Tomi, Trond)
  • more modularised make / build infra (prepare for smn, sms, sjd, others)
  • merge gt, kt and st into one
  • modularised preprocess and spellrelax
  • alternatives to make:
    • SCons
    • makepp
    • Maven (for java-projects)
    • CMake
• make a test-all target that runs all tests we have (Ciprian, Sjur, Trond)
  • delayed until we have restructured the make/build process
• define and document testing routines (Ciprian, Sjur, Trond)
  • delayed until we have restructured the make/build process
• test iCal Server (on G5) (Børre)
• remove TOC from the giellatekno home page by using dispatcher (Trond)
  • building gtuit with dispatcher doesn't work

We need a more fine-grained system for denoting morphological boundaries. Here's what Sjur suggests:

1. word boundary:
   1. (# makes .#. unusable in twolc)
2. inflection: <, >
3. compound-like inflection: <#, #> (cf -gujmie) (lexc %<#, #%>)
4. derivation: «, »
5. compound-like derivation: «#, #» (cf -aktig, -skap in nob, swe, etc)
6. clitica: ‹, › - muorak and muorage but only muorasge and not muorask
7. opaque compounds (bringebær): *#, #* - * on the side of the opaque part

The multichar sequences should be defined as Multichar_Symbols.

It might be possible to distinguish, but do we need them?

the suffix -goahti- behaves:

• morphologically like a compound
• semantically like a closed-class word (begin, often, still, ...)
• what is bringe#bær? A compound?

Motivation for the new border symbols:

• compound-like inflection and derivation should be hyphenated as compounds, although regular inflection and hyphenation usually is completely opaque wrt hyphenation.
• we don't want to use the regular word boundary symbol for this purpose, since that can conflict with other use cases (like IR & indexing, where you want to index both the actual word form, the stem, and possibly substems as long as the stemming is transparent)
• on the contrary, a richer set of border symbols can be used to enhance e.g. IR - by coding bringeber as bringe*#ber we know that the compound is opaque and should not be split, but at the same time we know that the last part is the recognisable word ber, which can be useful for text classification and building semantic relationships - we can automatically deduce that bringebær is a bær.
• the regular affix boundaries have turned out to be useful in the making of Hunspell speller files (although the distiction between inflection and derivation was in the end not useful). The borders also make it easier to bind certain two-level rules to the correct contexts.

The guiding principle behind the symbols is that they provide more information in the transducer, and it is easy to discard the information later. The opposite is not true. Also, there is relatively little work involved in adding the symbols.

North Sámi

(nothing new, see proofing bugs below)

Lule Sámi

(nothing new, see proofing bugs below)

South Sámi

Adj->verb derivations is the next topic. Verb -> adj -derivations (some) already written in, tentatively. This topic probably needs more consideration than A -> V.

Maja had a meeting with Ove Lorentz about loan words in sma, and their proper orthography. It is a complex issue.

TODO:

• reformulate the proper noun grammar according to the Trondheim discussions ( Maja, Sjur, Thomas, Trond)
• Prepare text´s about normativity issue to SGL/SGM (Maja, Thomas)
  • placenames (Maja)
  • other issues
• finish the umlaut / derivation work (Thomas, Sjur, Tomi)
• adjectives (Maja with Thomas, Trond, Sjur)
  • two competing naming conventions of continuation lexicons
    • One naming goes ATTRSUFF-PREDSUFF-STEMTYPE
    • One follows the sme convention of naming key adjectives
    • There are duplicate lexica
  • The comparative issue open here and there
    • The ATTRSUFF-PREDSUFF-STEMTYPE lexica now go to EVENCOMP and ODDCOMP only.

Tomi has played with couchdb as a replacement for eXist in risten.no and general dictionary-related work. Seems much lighter and easier to work with.

Instead of building our own webforms and back-end update scripts, use XForms with a premade connection to our xml db. Orbeon XForms is such a tool (open source).

From the meeting with the terminology and IT teams last week:

• no major rework on the present search interface now
• no work on the editing section; instead:
• add existing lists of sanctioned terminology as separate term entities
• add a dictionary if we can make one with sufficient quality

This means the following tasks:

• find already approved lists, in paper or electronic form (term team)
• convert paper lists to electronic lists (term team)
• convert lists to standard XML (Sjur, Tomi)
• add prepared lists to risten.no (Sjur, Tomi)

TODO:

1. send eXist log files to Ciprian (Sjur)
2. fix i18n bug in risten.no/G5 (so they will work without the proper locale request) (Sjur)
3. fix bugs in lexc2xml; add comments to the log element (Saara)
4. finish first version of the editing (Sjur)
5. test editing of the xml files. If ok, then: ( Sjur, Thomas, Trond)
6. make terms-smX.xml <=== automatically from propernoun-sme-lex.xml (add nob as well) (the morphological section should be kept intact, in e.g. propernoun-sme-morph.txt) (Sjur, Saara)
7. convert propernoun-($lang)-lex.txt to a derived file from common xml files ( Sjur, Tomi, Saara)
8. implement data synchronisation between risten.no and the cvs repo, and possibly other servers (ie the G5 as an alternative server to the public risten.no - it might be faster and better suited than the official one; also local installations could be treated the same way)
9. start to use the xml file as source file
10. clean terms-sme.xml such that all names have the correct tag for their use (e.g. @type=secondary) (Thomas, linguists)
11. merge placenames which are errouneously in different entries: e.g. Helsinki, Helsingfors, Helsset (linguists)
12. publish the name lexicon on risten.no (Sjur)
13. add missing parallel names for placenames (linguists)
14. add informative links between first names like Niillas and Nils ( linguists)

Dictionaries

TODO:

• Set up the apache server for the risten.no beta on the linux box + Xserve. ( Børre)
• set up risten.no on eXist/XServe (as a beta version site) (Sjur)
• set up required infra for smenob on risten.no/XServe (Sjur)
• Continue the dictionary infrastructure discussion (Ciprian, Sjur, Trond)
• end user documentation (how to download and install) (Ciprian, Trond)
• Contact Davvi Girji about cooperation on electronic dictionaries ( Sjur)
• developing the mobile phone version of smenob:
  • http: //pfed.info/wksite/

HFST-based proofing tools

TODO:

• continue to write an API specification, and an implementation specification ( Sjur)

Hunspell

Børre has released beta7, with working clitics, negation verb and copula.

Testing

Spelling Error Markup

TODO:

• test new and nested error markup (Sjur)
  • nesting still needs to be tested, depends on new ccat feature

Speller testing

TODO:

• test the error type selection feature in ccat (Sjur)
• package and deliver sma proofing tools (Sjur, Tomi)
• add South Sámi DLL's to the svn repository (Sjur)

Testing open-source Norwegian spellers

Sjur has invited the open-source group to test their spell-checker using our test bench. The response has been positive, we'll see what happens.

We should go to their developer meetings, and present our work and how to work with language technology.

Speller bugs

List of bugs returned from Polderland:

• 621
• 630
• 652
• 656
• 676

Open issues based on test results:

sme

Version: Davvisámi, version 1.1, 2008-12-17

• 399 - missing numerals (plural forms) - OPEN
• 425 - X not recognized; single letters were left out - still OPEN
• 435 - roman numbers - inflection of single letter numbers rejected, as well as some complex numbers (but is ok in smj) - still OPEN
  • we should pregenerate all numbers once and for all, and store them in a separate lexicon file
• 595 - prefix+name without hyphen (ovdaLot instead of ovda-Lot) - still OPEN
• 603 - suomabealdi accepted - still OPEN
• 606 - compound-tags LEXICON VUOHTA - still OPEN
• 613 - short gen. as second compound part - still OPEN
• 619 - numerals and pronouns to NAMÁK and SASJ fails - vihttasoarttat remaining - still OPEN
• 629 - a taking part in compounding without hyphen - still OPEN
  • only open case has word A-finálaid compounded
• 642 - noun/adj/proper + hyphen + ain - FIXED
• 647 - numerals+NOUN - still OPEN, open case has uppercase letters
• 648 - unmotivated suggestions with numeral+noun - still OPEN
• 709 - REGRESSION: sámedikkeválga accepted
• 728 - vowel shortening GenCmp+Left-tagged - still OPEN
• 779 - caseforms of pronoun okatahat - OPEN
• 785 - does not recognize alphabet-abbr+noun

smj

Version: Julevsáme, version 1.1, 2008-12-17

• 435 - roman number - single letter numbers now recognised
  • we should pregenerate all numbers once and for all, and store them in a separate lexicon file
  • please note that inflection of single letter numerals is fine in smj, as opposed to sme
• 482 - REGRESSION: polardutkamin not recognized
• 556 - REGRESSION: non-existent word accepted
• 594 - lågenanguoktáj not recognized - OPEN
• 595 - prefix+name as split comp without hyphen - FIXED
• 596 - C-giellan is not accepted - still OPEN
• 600 - REGRESSION: Gen+hyph compound
• 627 - REGRESSION: prefix + hyhpen does not get accepted
• 647 - numerals+NOUN - still OPEN, open case has uppercase letters
• 648 - unmotivated suggestions with numeral+noun - still OPEN
• 650 - noun prefix+name compound without hyphen - FIXED
• 652 - UPPERCASE-typos only get acronym-suggestions - still OPEN
• 692 - numeral-variants - all but one fixed (gáktsalågenantjuotakta), but still OPEN

TODO:

• document how compounding is controlled in the PLX conversion (Tomi)

Hyphenator bugs

Open issues based on test results :

sme

Lexicon version: Davvisámi, version 1.1, 2008-12-17

• 468 - Márkomeanu - still OPEN
• 547 - hyphen in front of vowel: Lotnolasealáhusas - still OPEN
• 548 - mid syllable hyphenation: Háliidivččen - still OPEN
• 549 - division without hyph: Váccedettiin - still OPEN

smj

Lexicon version: Julevsáme, version 1.1, 2008-12-17

• 547 - hyphen in front of vowel: Jienastimnjuolgadusá and Orgánajs - still OPEN
• 670 - Hard hyphen replaced with soft hyphen: 10-biejvvásattja (the word is not rec.; Bug #711) - still OPEN

TODO:

• fix PL hyphenator errors (Tomi)

Installer changes

TODO:

• test InDesign installer (Sjur)

User documentation

TODO:

• InDesign documentation (Sjur)
  • Norwegian translation received from Davvi Girji

1.2 release

Content:

• several smj bug fixes
• lexicalisations
• InDesign Mac & Win
• new OOo beta
• improved installers, at least for Mac, preferably also for Windows

Autumn planning

• divvun/sma -> all
• speller test project -> Sjur, Børre, Thomas, X
• speech synthesis -> Sjur, Trond, BA as a starter
• dictionaries: smanob, komfineng -> Ciprian, Sjur, Trond
• risten.no -> Ciprian, Sjur
• Barents project meeting
• Arctic conference - September 24-26 (Formal linguistics meets the north)
• Forskingstorget - September 18-19
• Francis Tyers in town appr. 24.9-1.10 (Lule Saami MT workshop week 39)
• sme and smj tools, next version -> Thomas, Tomi, Sjur
• HFST-based proofing tools -> Sjur
• sma langauge experts meeting, incl. Pia Persson & SGM/SGL

Text to speech

TODO:

• discuss with Biret Ánne (Sjur, Trond)
  • done

MT and CAT

These are the next things forward. Two things to do before doing MT/CAT:

1. Makefile redo
2. xml transition of lexica

Open source

The repository is properly closed/open now, and the availability of the source code should be announced.

TODO:

• announce the availability of our repository on relevant linguistic lists ( Sjur)
  • delayed until setup script is ready for perusal

The next meeting is 31.8.2009, 9.30 Norwegian time.

The meeting was closed at 10: 42.

Boerre

• update online download log statistics page
• fix screen sharing problem on Maja's computer
• improve XSL script to transform leaflet Forrest XDocs to an OOo Draw document
• Implement new version of giellatekno front page without ToC
• gt/Makefile remake
• Set up the apache server for the risten.no beta on the linux box + Xserve.
• get translations of thank-you letter
• fix bugs!

Ciprian

• Check for IP numbers in the Oahpa! log
• transform the Sami Law Terms DB (SLT-DB) into an eXist-usable format
• make eXist running with the SLT-DB
• make a schema/dtd description of the lexC-file (experiment with Romanian)
• transform sme-lexC files into XML format
• Oahpa:
  • finish the setup for the Bodø version locally
  • setup the Sandbox version on victorio
  • setup the Bodø version on victorio
  • add an Oahpa clock excercise
• restructure and clean the script catalogue, using subdirs
• check the processing of new corpus documents (error logging during conversion, conversion quality, documentation, etc.)
• continue the search and testing of an appropriate tool for lexicon working (no xml-file editing via text editors!)
• start the work at the komfineng dict
• incorporate the passives into the last version of the sme: nob
• continue the work at the Kildin-Russian dictionary
• check all bug in the sma: nob-swe dictionary
• extend the smanobswe dictionary
• fix the bug with the string length in the popup window (sma: nob)
• try to reduce the dict-size on mac: experiment with xPointer, etc.
• fix bugs!

Maja

• run the gtsetup.sh script
• Prepare text´s about normativity issue to SGL/SGM
• more work on sma adjectives
• Send Lena Kappfjell and Harald Gaski a contract
• need to get ove
• Send formal letter to Gerd Pärsson about the book Eahperestujmie
• digitize southsámi books
• work with missing lists- southsámi

Sjur

• make Leif Åge send out CD's to distribution points
• start Nordplus Sprog project
• send eXist log files to Ciprian
• finalise formal letter to Laila Mattsson-Magga with Maja
• Write a formal letter to Davvi girji about electronic dictionaries
• package and deliver sma proofing tools (with Tomi)
• make XSL script to transform leaflet Forrest XDocs to an OOo Drawer document
• continue to write a proofing API & implementation specification
• name db/risten.no
• follow-up on some Polderland-related bugs: 621, 630, 652
• support and maintenance contract for sme and smj, MS+Adobe tools
• Sámi languages as part of Norsk språkbank
• set up risten.no on eXist/XServe (as a beta version site)
• set up required infra for smenob on risten.no/XServe
• sma umlaut / derivation work
• fix bugs!

Thomas

• prepare text´s about normativity issue to SGL/SGM
• sma adjectives
• finish reformulating the proper noun grammar like the verbs
• fix bugs!

Tomi

• package and deliver sma proofing tools (with Sjur)
• document how compounding is controlled in the PLX conversion
• fix double hyphen bugs
• fix PL hyphenator bugs
• fix PL and Hunspell conversion bugs
• infrastructure remake
• sma umlaut / derivation work
• fix bugs!

Trond

• make Lene et al run the gtsetup.sh script
• Mikogo for Lene and Linda
• tts startup (with Sjur)
• sma proper noun grammar (with the rest of the sma gang)
• fix bugs!.