[Sorry, if this has been fixed in XEmacs-21.0.] The meaning of char-syntax seems to have been changed in XEmacs-20.X (probably all 20.X). It now seems to mean: inherit from (standard-syntax-table) at the time when the char/code for inherit is set, which isn't useful at all. It follows a file which shows this: xemacs -no-site-file -q -l ~/emacs/.bugs/bug-inherit.el.el & If you answer the question with `y', you get Char syntax: , TeX syntax: ＠, standard syntax: \ which is strange, since ＠ means inherit => the Char syntax should be the same as the standard syntax. This is the case when you answer the question with `n': Char syntax: \, TeX syntax: ＠, standard syntax: \ ;;; bug-inherit.el --- XEmacs-20.4; [Bug] char syntax `inherit' (load "tex-site") ; AucTeX w/ `TeX-mode-syntax-table' (if (y-or-n-p "Show sequence with bug? ") (require 'latex)) (modify-syntax-entry ?\237 "\\" (standard-syntax-table)) (find-file "~/.junk-or-empty.tex") (message "Char syntax: %c, TeX syntax: %c, standard syntax: %c" (char-syntax ?\237) (char-syntax-from-code (get-char-table ?\237 TeX-mode-syntax-table)) (char-syntax-from-code (get-char-table ?\237 (standard-syntax-table))))