++first++ ++it++is++very++encouraging++to++see++a++paper++on++a++fascinating++ ++and++so++far++not++too++well++described++language++like++tamil++ ++and++the++study++is++to++be++commended++for++its++pioneering++contribution++in++this++field++ ++but++ ++and++i++have++to++say++this++is++a++big++but++ ++why++was++this++paper++submitted++to++the++acl?++what++is++its++relevance++to++finite++state++methods++and++dependency++parsing?++there++is++nothing++of++computational++interest++in++the++paper++ ++though++there++is++plenty++of++linguistic++interest++and++the++application++is++of++considerable++relevance++for++speech++technology++applications++to++local++languages++ ++these++comments++do++not++affect++the++overall++quality++of++the++paper++ ++relative++to++a++speech++context++ ++which++is++acceptable++ ++but++there++are++plenty++of++conference++outlets++for++speech++technology++work++ ++and++acl++is++not++one++of++them++ ++what++i++would++have++liked++to++see++is++a++formalisation++of++the++rule++system++in++an++appropriate++algebra++or++logic++ ++with++discussion++of++its++computational++properties++ ++i++ ++e++ ++complexity++ ++processing++regimes++ ++data++structures++ ++a++clearer++statement++of++the++evaluation++methods++and++results++achieved++would++be++required++ ++however++ ++also++ ++formulations++like++ ++will++help++to++solve++this++problem++ ++ ++ ++should++be++able++to++capture++information++ ++imply++that++the++properties++of++the++approach++have++not++been++sufficiently++thought++through++or++actually++applied++ ++consequently++i++cannot++recommend++acceptance++for++the++acl++conference++ ++but++would++encourage++re++ ++writing++ ++taking++the++points++mentioned++above++into++account++ ++and++re++ ++submitting++later++to++a++speech++or++phonetics++conference++such++as++eurospeech++ ++interspeech++ ++ ++icslp++ ++icassp++ ++this++paper++makes++interesting++reading++ ++and++offers++ ++a++rare++treat++in++the++computational++field++ ++a++formal++comparison++of++indian++languages++in++terms++of++their++phonotactics++ ++focussing++on++the++historical++fate++of++schwa++ ++the++paper++is++very++uneven++ ++however++ ++first++ ++too++much++space++is++devoted++to++a++naive++functionalist++variety++of++ ++natural++ ++phonetic++explanation++ ++my++little++girl++would++like++a++statement++like++ ++gradually++the++number++of++people++speaking++the++schwa++ ++deleted++form++of++the++word++outnumbered++those++who++spoke++the++standard++form++and++finally++the++former++replaced++the++latter++ ++but++not++me++ ++strangely++ ++no++reference++is++made++to++the++foremost++ ++and++vastly++more++sophisticated++ ++proponent++of++this++type++of++explanation++ ++bjorn++lindblom++ ++second++ ++the++ ++basic++definitions++ ++are++really++basic++set++definitions++ ++and++it++ls++not++at++all++clear++why++a++lexicon++should++be++a++ ++union++ ++of++words++ ++it++is++simply++a++relation++ ++i++ ++e++ ++the++set++of++pairs++ ++w_g++ ++w_p++ ++ ++in++other++words++a++pronouncing++dictionary++in++speech++jargon++ ++there++is++a++fair++amount++of++name++ ++dropping++ ++vennemann++ ++kager++mcneilage++&++davis++ ++without++any++evidence++that++these++approaches++are++relevant++ ++third++ ++the++syllable++ranking++function++is++simply++a++stipulation++of++a++total++ordering++over++coarsely++defined++syllable++types++ ++genuine++fs++approaches++ ++e++ ++g++ ++carson++ ++berndsen++ ++belz++ ++would++provide++a++much++more++finely++grained++phonotactic++basis++for++defining++appropriate++orderings++ ++fourth++ ++the++two++ ++pass++algorithm++could++have++been++formulated++more++clearly++in++terms++of++finite++state++transducers++ ++in++which++case++the++string++ ++length++ ++counting++property++ ++and++non++ ++determinism++ ++of++the++algorithm++would++have++been++instantly++obvious++ ++casting++doubt++on++the++claim++of++linear++complexity++ ++this++should++at++the++very++least++have++been++demonstrated++ ++ ++having++said++all++this++ ++i++find++both++the++languages++treated++and++the++constraint++ ++based++idea++very++interesting++ ++if++the++computational++aspects++are++presented++more++fully++and++clearly++ ++and++the++irrelevant++and++speculative++functional++phonetic++bits++thrown++away++ ++the++paper++could++be++an++acceptable++acl++paper++ ++on++the++other++hand++ ++it++could++be++argued++that++the++paper++would++be++equally++relevant++to++a++speech++technology++conference++ ++this++paper++provides++interesting++quantitative++data++about++the++phonotactics++of++european++portuguese++ ++but++i++am++quite++amazed++that++the++authors++even++thought++of++submitting++it++to++the++acl++ ++because++neither++the++topic++nor++the++methodology++of++the++paper++are++remotely++suitable++for++an++acl++conference++ ++the++paper++has++nothing++at++all++to++say++about++computation++ ++let++alone++finite++state++methods++or++dependency++parsing++ ++the++topic++is++more++suitable++for++a++speech++technology++or++phonetics++conference++ ++but++even++so++the++methodology++is++very++elementary++ ++frequencies++and++percentages++of++phones++in++various++contexts++with++no++attempt++to++draw++interesting++statistical++ ++theoretical++or++practical++conclusions++ ++the++underlying++idea++of++this++paper++is++very++interesting++ ++and++very++appropriate++for++a++highly++underspecified++representation++system++such++as++arabic++orthography++ ++and++the++authors++have++clearly++researched++the++problem++reasonably++thoroughly++ ++what++makes++me++hesitate++are++the++following++points++ ++first++ ++the++presentation++of++the++problem++leaves++something++to++be++desired++ ++second++ ++it++is++astonishing++that++in++a++submission++to++an++acl++conference++ ++in++particular++to++the++finite++state++methods++track++ ++the++pioneering++model++of++arabic++using++multi++ ++tape++fs++transducers++should++not++even++be++mentioned++ ++third++ ++it++is++almost++as++astonishing++that++in++view++of++the++underspecification++problem++ ++the++treatment++of++arabic++morphophonology++in++an++inheritance++system++by++reinhard++et++al++ ++ ++1991++ ++should++also++be++ignored++ ++fourth++ ++i++had++hoped++that++computational++linguistics++had++grown++out++of++presenting++raw++prolog++code++chunks++with++no++discussion++of++their++algorithmic++complexity++or++the++data++structures++they++represent++ ++there++are++enough++appropriate++formalisms++for++the++underspecification++problem++without++using++programming++code++ ++for++instance++ ++a++clear++formulation++in++terms++of++avms++and++appropriate++operations++would++have++been++preferable++ ++ ++fifth++ ++the++paper++loses++track++of++the++main++computational++point++in++its++disjointed++discussion++of++clitic++pronouns++ ++semantics++ ++and++phonetic++transcription++ ++sixth++ ++the++paper++concludes++with++a++very++naive++discussion++of++prosody++and++speech++synthesis++ ++including++what++ ++mbrola++allows++you++to++impose++ ++ ++but++without++an++actual++conclusion++ ++so++the++promise++of++the++title++is++unfortunately++only++imperfectly++realised++ ++i++would++hope++ ++though++ ++that++the++authors++will++revise++the++paper++bearing++this++critique++in++mind++ ++and++resubmit++on++another++occasion++ ++