RE: A note on "non" and "non-"

Hello,

As I said in my previous e-mail, I believe that in American English non-words
should be written as nonwords. Exceptions to this rule are words that contain a
hyphen (so you write "non-tree-like" instead of "nontree-like") and words that
start with an uppercase letter (as you write "non-Unix" instead of "nonUnix").

The book "BUGS in Writing" by Dupre Lyn
(http://www.amazon.com/BUGS-Writing-Revised-Guide-Debugging/dp/020137921X)
advocates this tyle, and I believe this to be in line with the Chicago Manual of
Style.

SS&FS, Direct Semantics, RDF Mapping, XML Syntax, Profiles, and rdf:text (i.e.,
the documents that I'm an editor of) all use American English and follow the
above guideline.


I do not understand what "header" you are referring to when you talk about
"non-normative formats". If I open the Syntax document and search for "non-", I
find only the occurrences that match the exceptions I outlined earlier.

Regards,

	Boris

> -----Original Message-----
> From: public-owl-wg-request@w3.org [mailto:public-owl-wg-request@w3.org] On
> Behalf Of Antoine Zimmermann
> Sent: 22 April 2009 12:25
> To: 'W3C OWL Working Group'
> Subject: A note on "non" and "non-"
> 
> The use of prefix "non" or "non-" is very inconsistent in almost all
> documents. Both forms are often used within the same document for the
> same word (e.g., "nonnegative" and "non-negative").
> 
> I can see 4 options:
> 1) use the same form for all terms (i.e., always use "non-" or always
> use "non");
> 2) have the spelling normalized in all the documents (e.g., always
> "nonempty" and "non-deterministic");
> 3) have each single document use the same form consistently (e.g.,
> "nonnegative" in SS&FS and "non-negative" in RDF Semantics);
> 4) do not care.
> 
> I personally favour 1), and I prefer the spelling with an hyphen, but I
> understand that it is common practice to remove the hyphen in American
> English (but it is not possible in some case). In any case, I would not
> object any option, even 4) at this stage.
> 
> Following is a comprehensive list of all occurrences of such terms.
> 
> 
> 
> Document overview
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> 
> SS&FS
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> In TOC: "17.2 Nonnormative References"
> Sect.1, 1st parag.: "(normative and nonnormative)"
> Sect.2.1: "The { ordered,nonunique } attribute"
> Sect.2.2, Tab.1: "nonterminal symbols"
> Sect.2.3:
>   "Nonnegative integers are defined as usual"
>   "nonNegativeInteger := a nonempty finite sequence"
>   "languageTag := @ (U+40) followed a nonempty sequence"
> Sect.4.1, Lexical Spaces: "a positive, nonzero integer"
> Sect.4.7, 1st Ex.: "but nonidentical data values"
> Sect.5, 2nd parag.: "associate nonlogical information"
> Sect.5.8: "These axioms are nonlogical"
> Sect.8.3.1: "consists of a nonnegative integer n"
> Sect.8.3.2: "consists of a nonnegative integer n"
> Sect.8.3.3: "consists of a nonnegative integer n"
> Sect.8.4.2: "and therefore have non-UK and non-Canadian"
> Sect.8.5.1: "consists of a nonnegative integer n"
> Sect.8.5.2: "consists of a nonnegative integer n"
> Sect.8.5.3: "consists of a nonnegative integer n"
> Sect.11.2, Restriction on the Usage of Anonymous Individuals, 2nd Ex.:
> "non-tree-like way"
> Sect.12, Optional parameters: "transfering non-ASCII data"
> Sect.13.1:
>   "nonNegativeInteger := a nonempty finite"
>   "languageTag := @ (U+40) followed a nonempty sequence"
> Sect.17.2: "17.2 Nonnormative References"
> 
> RDF Mapping
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> Sect.3: "n is a nonnegative integer"
> 
> Direct Semantics
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> In TOC: "5.2 Nonnormative References"
> Sect.2.2:
>   "is a nonempty set called the object domain"
>   "is a nonempty set disjoint with"
> Sect.5.2: "5.2 Nonnormative References"
> 
> RDF Semantics
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> EdNote after TOC: "Non-breakable whitespace"
> Sect.4.1: "takes non-negative integers as its values"
> Sect.4.2: "IR is the universe of I, i.e., a nonempty set"
> Sect.5, Conventions used in this Section: "INNI: The set of all
> non-negative integers"
> Sect.5.3: "to any non-trivial semantic conclusions"
> Sect.5.7, 2nd parag.: "usually, a non-empty facet space"
> Sect.6, 1st parag.: "it becomes non-obvious"
> Sect.7.3, Proof of the Balancing Lemma, item B:, 3rd bullet: "they are
> non-required"
> Sect.7.3, End of the Proof of the Balancing Lemma:
>   "every non-built-in IRI"
>   "thus all non-built-in IRIs"
>   "For every non-built-in IRI u"
>   "of a non-separated vocabulary"
>   "all the non-built-in names in gA"
>   "For every non-built-in IRI u occurring in gA"
> Sect.8.4, 1st parag.: "for any non-negative integer"
> Sect.9, Weakened Semantics of Data Value Enumerations [DEV]: "now
> restricted to non-empty sets"
> Sect.9, Modified Abbreviations [NOM]: "the explicit non-abbreviated form"
> Sect.10, Section 2: "of non-semantic aspects"
> Sect.10: "Other non-editorial changes"
> 
> Conformance
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> In TOC: "3.1.2.2 Non-Entailment Tests"
> Sect.2.3: "When using non-RDF serializations"
> Sect.3.1.2.2: "3.1.2.2 Non-Entailment Tests"
> Sect.3.1.2.2, 1st parag.:
>   "Non-Entailment tests"
>   "and a non-conclusion ontology"
> Sect.3.1.2.2, 2nd parag.:
>   "In all non-entailment tests"
>   "all non-entailment tests"
> Sect.3.1.2.3: "if they were non-entailment tests"
> Sect.3.2.2: "conclusion, or non-conclusion"
> Sect.3.2.4: "might be a non-entailment"
> Sect.4, 1st parag.: "entailment tests and non-entailment tests"
> 
> Profiles
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> In TOC: "8.2 Nonnormative References"
> Sect.4.1: "the need for nondeterministic reasoning"
> Sect.5, 2NEXPTIME: "nondeterministic"
> Sect.5, NEXPTIME: "nondeterministic"
> Sect.5, NP: "nondeterministic"
> Sect.5, LOGSPACE: "NLOGSPACE is the non-deterministic version"
> Sect.8.2: "8.2 Nonnormative References"
> 
> Primer
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> Sect.1.2, 2nd parag.: "easier for non-logicians to read"
> Sect.4.8: "with non-negative integers"
> Sect.4.8, last parag.: "with non-negative integers"
> 
> NF&R
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> Sect.2.2.2.1, ObjectMinCardinality: "n is a non negative integer"
> Sect.2.2.2.1, ObjectMaxCardinality: "n is a non negative integer"
> Sect.2.2.2.1, ObjectExactCardinality: "n is a non negative integer"
> Sect.2.2.2.2, DataMinCardinality: "n is a non negative integer"
> Sect.2.2.2.2, DataMaxCardinality: "n is a non negative integer"
> Sect.2.2.2.2, DataExactCardinality: "n is a non negative integer"
> Sect.3.1.3, 3rd bullet: "existence of non named individuals"
> Sect.4.1.2: "normative and non normative"
> 
> QRG
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> Sect.2: " "n" is a non-negative integer"
> Sect.3.2, column Value v: "Nonnegative integer"
> 
> XML Serialization
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> In TOC: "8.2 Nonnormative References"
> Sect.6, Optional parameters: "transfering non-ascii"
> Sect.8.2: "8.2 Nonnormative References"
> 
> Manchester Syntax
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> In TOC: "6.2 Non-normative References"
> Sect.2, Tab.1: "nonterminal symbols"
> Sect.2:
>   "one for non-empty lists"
>   "one for non-empty lists with annotations"
>   "two terminals or non-terminals"
>   "terminals or non-terminals if its"
>   "the above non-terminals."
> Sect.2.1: "languageTag := @ (U+40) followed a nonempty sequence"
> Sect.4.1, 3rd parag.: "lose some non-logical information"
> Sect.4.2, 2nd table: "Nonterminal"
> Sect.4.3, 3rd parag.: "The non-determinism in the mapping"
> Sect. 5, Optional parameters: "transfering non-ascii"
> Sect.6.2: "6.2 Non-normative References"
> 
> DRE: LE
> In header: "non-normative formats"
> Sect.1, 1st bullet: "Similarly, non-linear"
> Sect.5, 2nd bullet: "implementation of non-linear (in)equations"
> Sect.5, 4th bullet: "Prolog system with non-linear inequations"
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> --
> Antoine Zimmermann
> Post-doctoral researcher at:
> Digital Enterprise Research Institute
> National University of Ireland, Galway
> IDA Business Park
> Lower Dangan
> Galway, Ireland
> antoine.zimmermann@deri.org
> http://zimmer.aprilfoolsreview.com/

Received on Wednesday, 22 April 2009 11:43:46 UTC