[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/papers/appelo-1986-compositional-approach-translation-temporal-expressions/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [docs](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/) / [papers](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/papers/) / [Machine translation](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/papers/mtrans/) / A Compositional Approach to the Translation of Temporal Expressions in the Rosetta System # A Compositional Approach to the Translation of Temporal Expressions in the Rosetta System **Authors:** Lisette Appelo · **Year:** 1986 · **Venue:** Coling 1986 Volume 1 (11th International Conference on Computational Linguistics) **Link:** [aclanthology.org/C86-1074](https://aclanthology.org/C86-1074/) · **Licence:** [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) — summary only [**11** citations](https://openalex.org/works?filter=cites:W1964044121) openalex · 2026-10-19[Coling 1986 Volume 1: The 11th International Conference on Computational Linguistics](https://aclanthology.org/volumes/C86-1/)[licence](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) - [Publisher's page](https://aclanthology.org/C86-1074/) - [PDF](https://aclanthology.org/C86-1074.pdf) - [DOI 10.3115/991365.991457](https://doi.org/10.3115/991365.991457) - [OpenAlex](https://openalex.org/W1964044121) **Authors (1)** 1. [Appelo, Lisette](https://openalex.org/A5063252191) [Semantic Scholar](https://www.semanticscholar.org/author/2712046) · h 3 · 32 citations · 10 works Citations and author metrics from openalex (2026-10-19); authors with the same name are not always told apart. ## What it is about The paper asks how temporal expressions should be translated inside the Rosetta isomorphic-grammar system between Dutch, English and Spanish. Tense is not a simple mapping: a Dutch simple present with a duration adverbial corresponds to an English perfect progressive, while the literal translation of the same tense is ill-formed. The author builds a small theory of time, with time points ordered by the earlier-than relation, a moment of speech, events located as intervals, and reference intervals that relate an event to the time model. Isomorphic M-grammar rules then attach the time meaning to the same derivation steps in each language. The paper shows worked examples; it reports no counts or accuracy figures. ## Ideas - I1. Store the time relation as a feature of the verb meta token: the tense and aspect from UD FEATS, plus the adverbial that sets a duration. Then the same meta token can be written as a perfect progressive or a simple present, and the choice is a counted rule, not a word. - I2. Count the tense mismatches in the verse pairs: for each source tense plus adverbial, how often the target tense differs. Keep the table keyed by enums and in BTreeMap order; a rule enters the delta only when it fixes at least three more tokens. - I3. Negative control: swap the tense feature on a test set and check that the exact-mode residual in the encoding step rises. A rule that cannot show red does not count. ## For Mova The code is `tools/translate` (`profile.rs` for the encoder, `meta.rs` for the concepts) and the frames in `prag`. The paper's time model is not needed as such, but its split between the tense of a sentence and the time reference it sets is a good test case for open problems 4 and 5 (function features and number/person from FEATS on meta tokens). Topics: [Machine translation](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/papers/topics/machine-translation/) ## Cite The paper itself, not this card. BibTeX from the library's record of the work. [DOI 10.3115/991365.991457](https://doi.org/10.3115/991365.991457) ``` @inproceedings{appelo1986compositional, title = {{A Compositional Approach to the Translation of Temporal Expressions in the Rosetta System}}, author = {Appelo, Lisette}, booktitle = {Coling 1986 Volume 1: The 11th International Conference on Computational Linguistics}, year = {1986}, doi = {10.3115/991365.991457}, url = {https://doi.org/10.3115/991365.991457} } ``` - [← previous ACES: Translation Accuracy Challenge Sets for Evaluating Machine Translation Metrics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/papers/amrhein-2022-aces-translation-accuracy-challenge-sets/) - [next → On Translating Homer; with F. W. Newman's "Homeric Translation in Theory and Practice" and Arnold's "Last Words"](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/papers/arnold-1861-translating-homer-f-w/) - [↑ back to Machine translation](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/papers/mtrans/) ## References 10 references, 0 of them with a card of ours. ↗ leads to the work, «find» searches for one we have no id for yet. 1. Bruce, B., (1972): "A model for temporal references and its application in a question answering program'. In: Artificial Intelligence 3, ] -25. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Bruce%2C+B%2E%2C+%281972%29%3A+%22A+model+for+temporal+references+and+its+application+in+a+question+answering+program%27%2E+In%3A+Artificial+Intelligence+3%2C+%5D+%2D25%2E) 2. Comrie, B., (1976): Aspect: an Introduction to the Study of Verbal Aspect and Rela--~d P r o b l e m s . a m - nlvers ty r e s s , - r - g . certain Dowty, D.R., (1979): Word Meaning and Montague Grammar. Reidel Vol. 7q--. . [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Comrie%2C+B%2E%2C+%281976%29%3A+Aspect%3A+an+Introduction+to+the+Study+of+Verbal+Aspect+and+Rela%2D%2D%7Ed+P+r+o+b+l+e+m+s+%2E+a+m+%2D+nlvers+ty+r+e+s+s+%2C+%2D+r+%2D+g+%2E+certain+Dowty%2C+D%2ER%2E%2C+%281979%29%3A+Word+Meaning+and+Montague+Gram) 3. Krauwer, S. and L. des Tombe, (1985): "Compositionality'. In: Dehaan, G. and W. Zonneveld (eds.): Formal Parameters of Generative Grammar. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Krauwer%2C+S%2E+and+L%2E+des+Tombe%2C+%281985%29%3A+%22Compositionality%27%2E+In%3A+Dehaan%2C+G%2E+and+W%2E+Zonneveld+%28eds%2E%29%3A+Formal+Parameters+of+Generative+Grammar%2E) 4. I. Yearbook Landsbergen, J., (1982): "Machine Translation based on Logically Isomorphic Montague Grammars'. In: J. Horecky (ed.), COLING 82 North Holland, p. 175-182. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=I%2E+Yearbook+Landsbergen%2C+J%2E%2C+%281982%29%3A+%22Machine+Translation+based+on+Logically+Isomorphic+Montague+Grammars%27%2E+In%3A+J%2E+Horecky+%28ed%2E%29%2C+COLING+82+North+Holland%2C+p%2E+175%2D182%2E) 5. Landsbergen, J., (1984): "Isomorphic Grammars and their use in the Rosetta Translation system'. Paper presented at the Tutorial on Machine Translation, Lugano. Philips Research M.S. 12.950, to appear in: King, M. (ed.), Machine Translation: The State of the Art, Edinburgh Un-ivTr-s~[Ty Press. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Landsbergen%2C+J%2E%2C+%281984%29%3A+%22Isomorphic+Grammars+and+their+use+in+the+Rosetta+Translation+system%27%2E+Paper+presented+at+the+Tutorial+on+Machine+Translation%2C+Lugano%2E+Philips+Research+M%2ES%2E+12%2E950%2C+to+appear+) 6. Maegaard, B., (1982): "The Transfer of Finite Forms in a Machine Translation System'. In: Abstracts COLING 82, p. 190-194. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Maegaard%2C+B%2E%2C+%281982%29%3A+%22The+Transfer+of+Finite+Forms+in+a+Machine+Translation+System%27%2E+In%3A+Abstracts+COLING+82%2C+p%2E+190%2D194%2E) 7. Oversteegen, L. and H.J. Verkuyl, (1985): temporele zinsstructuur van bet Nederlands: tijdsbanden'. In GLOT. De twee Reichenbach, H., (1947): Elements University of California Press, of Symbolic Logic. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Oversteegen%2C+L%2E+and+H%2EJ%2E+Verkuyl%2C+%281985%29%3A+temporele+zinsstructuur+van+bet+Nederlands%3A+tijdsbanden%27%2E+In+GLOT%2E+De+twee+Reichenbach%2C+H%2E%2C+%281947%29%3A+Elements+University+of+California+Press%2C+of+Symbolic+Logic) 8. Van Eynde, F., L. des Tombe and F. Maes (1985): "Specification of time meaning for machine translation'. Proceedings ACL conference, Geneva. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Van+Eynde%2C+F%2E%2C+L%2E+des+Tombe+and+F%2E+Maes+%281985%29%3A+%22Specification+of+time+meaning+for+machine+translation%27%2E+Proceedings+ACL+conference%2C+Geneva%2E) 9. Verkuyl, H.J., (1972): On the Compositional Nature of the Aspects. Dordrecht. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Verkuyl%2C+H%2EJ%2E%2C+%281972%29%3A+On+the+Compositional+Nature+of+the+Aspects%2E+Dordrecht%2E) 10. Vuyst, J. de, (1983): "A Semantic Analysis of Temporal Elements in Dutch and English'. Diss. RUG, Groningen. of the [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Vuyst%2C+J%2E+de%2C+%281983%29%3A+%22A+Semantic+Analysis+of+Temporal+Elements+in+Dutch+and+English%27%2E+Diss%2E+RUG%2C+Groningen%2E+of+the)