RE: [sv-ac] the number of semantics

I'll refrain from arguing any further about this, as in the end it is
not very important. John leads the SV-AC, so he can decide for it as far
as I am concerned.

Shalom

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-sv-ac@server.eda.org 
> [mailto:owner-sv-ac@server.eda.org] On Behalf Of John Havlicek
> Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 3:00 PM
> To: sv-ac@server.eda-stds.org
> Subject: [sv-ac] the number of semantics
> 
> Hi Folks:
> 
> > 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ---- . Throughout, semantics are --> semantics is, except 
> in case two 
> > or more
> >   semantics are being referred to.
> > 
> > [DB} Shalom convinced me that it should not be changed
> 
> O.k., I have tried.
> 
> It has been cited that the word "semantics" can be used with 
> a singular or plural verb.  I do not disagree with this, but 
> I think that the choice of number for the verb is not arbitrary.
> 
> I have been taught that when using "semantics" to mean 
> "meaning", as in a discussion of the "formal semantics" of 
> various language constructs, one should use the same verb as 
> one would with the word "meaning".
> 
> If several meanings are being discussed, then the plural 
> should be used, as in
> 
>   Several distinct formal semantics have been proposed for this
>   language construct, and there is not yet agreement on which is
>   preferable.
>  
> 
> If, on the other hand, one meaning is being discussed, then the
> singular should be used, as in
> 
>   The formal semantics of the operator is well defined, but
>   it is too complicated to be useful in practice.
> 
> 
> It has been argued that when speaking about the formal semantics
> of a language, the overall semantics is built up from the semantics
> of its various components, and therefore the overall semantics can
> be regarded as a collective and used with a plural verb.  I have
> not found this argument convincing.
> 
> J.H.
> 
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