Inflectional rules

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Inflectional rules should be avoided whenever there can be stated a regular pattern for inflecting words. In this case, the inflectional behaviour should be described by an [[inflectional paradigms | inflectional paradigm]].
 
Inflectional rules should be avoided whenever there can be stated a regular pattern for inflecting words. In this case, the inflectional behaviour should be described by an [[inflectional paradigms | inflectional paradigm]].
  
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== Example ==
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== Examples ==
  
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The plural of English nouns is considerably regular and can be treated, in most cases, by the following '''inflectional paradigms''':
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;English
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:The word "child" is irregular and cannot be linked to any existing paradigm. So, the word must be associated to the paradigm IRREGULAR and the following must be informed in the field inflectional rules:
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:*SNG:="child";
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:*PLR:="children";
  
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{|
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;Latin
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| Paradigm
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:The word "Iuppiter" is irregular and cannot be linked to any existing paradigm. So, the word must be associated to the paradigm IRREGULAR and the following must be informed in the field inflectional rules:
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| Rule
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:*SNG&NOM:="Iuppiter";
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| Description
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:*SNG&GNT:="Iovis";
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| Example
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:*SNG&DAT:="Iovi";
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|-
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:*SNG&ACC:="Iovem";
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| 1
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:*SNG&VOC:="Iuppiter";
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| PLR:=0>"s";
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:*ABL&SNG:="Ioves";
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| Add "s" to the end of the word
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:*NOM&PLR:=NULL;
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| boy > boys
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:*GNT&PLR:=NULL;
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|-
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:*DAT&PLR:=NULL;
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| 2
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:*ACC&PLR:=NULL;
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| PLR:="y">"ies";
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:*VOC&PLR:=NULL;
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| Replace "y" by "ies" at the end of the word
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:*ABL&PLR:=NULL;
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| city > cities
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|-
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| 3
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| PLR:=0>"es";
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| Add "es" to the end of the word
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| kiss > kisses
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|-
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| 4
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| PLR:="f">"ves";
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| Replace "f" by "ves" at the end of the word
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| woolf > woolves
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|}
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However, there are several special cases that, being very limited, should be treated by '''inflectional rules''' instead of inflectional paradigms:
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{|
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| Rule
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| Description
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| Case
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|-
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| PLR:="men";
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| Replace the whole word by "men"
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| man > men
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|-
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| PLR:="mice";
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| Replace the whole word by "mice"
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| mouse > mice
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|-
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| PLR:="feet";
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| Replace the whole word by "feet"
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| foot > feet
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|-
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| PLR:="children";
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| Replace the whole word by "children"
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| child > children
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|-
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| ...
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| ...
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| ...
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|}
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To choose between inflectional paradigms and inflectional rules is mainly a question of range. If a rule is applicable to several different words, it should be defined as a general inflectional paradigm; if it is applicable to a single word or to a very limited number of cases, it should be defined as an inflectional rule inside the very entry.
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== Syntax ==  
 
== Syntax ==  
  
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Inflectional rules should comply with the '''[[M-rule]]''' formalism for writing morphological rules in the UNL framework.
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Inflectional rules should comply with the '''[[A-rule]]''' formalism for writing morphological rules in the UNL framework.
  
 
== Observation ==  
 
== Observation ==  
  
 
Inflectional rules can be combined with inflectional paradigms in order to describe localized irregular behaviour.
 
Inflectional rules can be combined with inflectional paradigms in order to describe localized irregular behaviour.

Latest revision as of 22:51, 18 June 2014

Inflectional rules are used to generate the inflected forms out of the base form. They differ from inflectional paradigms in the sense that they are specific to particular words (i.e., they are used to generated only irregular forms),

Contents

When to use inflectional rules

Inflectional rules should be used when the inflectional behaviour of a word is too specific (i.e., irregular).

When not to use inflectional rules

Inflectional rules should be avoided whenever there can be stated a regular pattern for inflecting words. In this case, the inflectional behaviour should be described by an inflectional paradigm.

Examples

English
The word "child" is irregular and cannot be linked to any existing paradigm. So, the word must be associated to the paradigm IRREGULAR and the following must be informed in the field inflectional rules:
  • SNG:="child";
  • PLR:="children";
Latin
The word "Iuppiter" is irregular and cannot be linked to any existing paradigm. So, the word must be associated to the paradigm IRREGULAR and the following must be informed in the field inflectional rules:
  • SNG&NOM:="Iuppiter";
  • SNG&GNT:="Iovis";
  • SNG&DAT:="Iovi";
  • SNG&ACC:="Iovem";
  • SNG&VOC:="Iuppiter";
  • ABL&SNG:="Ioves";
  • NOM&PLR:=NULL;
  • GNT&PLR:=NULL;
  • DAT&PLR:=NULL;
  • ACC&PLR:=NULL;
  • VOC&PLR:=NULL;
  • ABL&PLR:=NULL;

Syntax

Inflectional rules should comply with the A-rule formalism for writing morphological rules in the UNL framework.

Observation

Inflectional rules can be combined with inflectional paradigms in order to describe localized irregular behaviour.

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