What does の apply to after a list of items with と?


I've looked around, but I couldn't find an answer for this question. Here's
the example phrase that I'm trying to translate that I pulled from a light
novel:

> せりとレタスとキャベツの違い

I'm not sure whether it means. My guess is either:

> the difference of parsley, lettuce, and cabbage

or:

> parsley, lettuce, and cabbage's difference (difference modifies cabbage
> only)

Logically, it should be the second, but I seem to recall that it can mean the
first if you reason out the literal translation.




Recently, [@naruto](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/users/5010/naruto)
mentioned the phrase 頭が赤い魚を食べた猫, which can be understood [in many
ways](http://togetter.com/li/567493). There is some ambiguity in how each word
relates to each other.

Among other possibilities, it could mean

  * [(頭が赤い)魚]を食べた猫 (red-headed fish)
  * [(頭が赤い)+(魚を食べた)]猫 (red-headed cat)

The same applies here. Consider the following pattern:

> ＡとＢとＣのＤ

As far as logic and grammar is concerned, this can be interpreted as either
one of these possibilities:

  1. (ＡとＢとＣ)のＤ
  2. (ＡとＢ)と(ＣのＤ)
  3. Ａと[(ＢとＣ)のＤ]

Note that A, B, C, and D can be nouns or noun phrases. If the latter, it could
get even more confusing, so I won't consider this case.

Usually context resolves the ambiguity and makes it obvious. For the example
you gave, that would be possibility (3): the difference between certain kinds
of vegetables.

To illustrate the point, let me give some examples for each possibility.

(`《》` markers added by me for clarity)

①:

  * 《せりとレタスとキャベツ》の違い
  * 《ブランデーと梅酒と柑橘【かんきつ】ジャム》の大人[珈琲]【コーヒー】
  * garden COLORING BOOK 《小鳥と花と動物》のぬり絵
  * 《君と彼女と彼女》の恋

②:

  * 勇者と少女と《変化の指輪》
  * 「使命」と「運命」と「人生の意味」
  * 僕と君と《夜空の星》
  * 星杯騎士団【グラールリッター】と七耀教会【しちようきょうかい】と《黒【くろ】の史書【ししょ】》
  * コナンと平次【へいじ】と《恋の暗号》

③:

Note the first sentence.

  * [ポスドク]【postdoctor(al)】問題と《アメリカと日本の違い》
  * 下妻物語【しもつまものがたり】と《ウルルと森の物語》
  * 竹取物語【たけとりものがたり】と《伊邪那岐命【いざなぎのみこと】の伊邪那美命【いざなみのみこと】の物語》
  * 《伊邪那岐命【イザナギノミコト】と伊邪那美命【イザナミノミコト】の夫婦神》と《伊邪那岐命と伊邪那美命の争いを仲裁した菊理媛大神【ククリヒメノオオカミ】》が祀られている
  * 和風レシピと《梅酒と梅干しの作り方》

I had a hard time coming up with examples for case ③, but it's definitely
possible.

To summarize, only context and common sense can tell you what の applies to, it
depends on what the nouns or noun phrases A, B, C, and D are.

Lastly, if you _really_ wanted to leave no ambiguity, you could resort to a
lengthy phrase that says it explicitly, such as せりとレタスとキャベツという3つの(野菜・植物)の違い.




Recently, [@naruto](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/users/5010/naruto)
mentioned the phrase 頭が赤い魚を食べた猫, which can be understood [in many
ways](http://togetter.com/li/567493). There is some ambiguity in how each word
relates to each other.

Among other possibilities, it could mean

  * [(頭が赤い)魚]を食べた猫 (red-headed fish)
  * [(頭が赤い)+(魚を食べた)]猫 (red-headed cat)

The same applies here. Consider the following pattern:

> ＡとＢとＣのＤ

As far as logic and grammar is concerned, this can be interpreted as either
one of these possibilities:

  1. (ＡとＢとＣ)のＤ
  2. (ＡとＢ)と(ＣのＤ)
  3. Ａと[(ＢとＣ)のＤ]

Note that A, B, C, and D can be nouns or noun phrases. If the latter, it could
get even more confusing, so I won't consider this case.

Usually context resolves the ambiguity and makes it obvious. For the example
you gave, that would be possibility (3): the difference between certain kinds
of vegetables.

To illustrate the point, let me give some examples for each possibility.

(`《》` markers added by me for clarity)

①:

  * 《せりとレタスとキャベツ》の違い
  * 《ブランデーと梅酒と柑橘【かんきつ】ジャム》の大人[珈琲]【コーヒー】
  * garden COLORING BOOK 《小鳥と花と動物》のぬり絵
  * 《君と彼女と彼女》の恋

②:

  * 勇者と少女と《変化の指輪》
  * 「使命」と「運命」と「人生の意味」
  * 僕と君と《夜空の星》
  * 星杯騎士団【グラールリッター】と七耀教会【しちようきょうかい】と《黒【くろ】の史書【ししょ】》
  * コナンと平次【へいじ】と《恋の暗号》

③:

Note the first sentence.

  * [ポスドク]【postdoctor(al)】問題と《アメリカと日本の違い》
  * 下妻物語【しもつまものがたり】と《ウルルと森の物語》
  * 竹取物語【たけとりものがたり】と《伊邪那岐命【いざなぎのみこと】の伊邪那美命【いざなみのみこと】の物語》
  * 《伊邪那岐命【イザナギノミコト】と伊邪那美命【イザナミノミコト】の夫婦神》と《伊邪那岐命と伊邪那美命の争いを仲裁した菊理媛大神【ククリヒメノオオカミ】》が祀られている
  * 和風レシピと《梅酒と梅干しの作り方》

I had a hard time coming up with examples for case ③, but it's definitely
possible.

To summarize, only context and common sense can tell you what の applies to, it
depends on what the nouns or noun phrases A, B, C, and D are.

Lastly, if you _really_ wanted to leave no ambiguity, you could resort to a
lengthy phrase that says it explicitly, such as せりとレタスとキャベツという3つの(野菜・植物)の違い.

