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]].
  
== Example ==
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== Examples ==
  
The plural of English nouns is considerably regular and can be treated, in most cases, by the following '''inflectional paradigms''':
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{|border=1 cellpadding=3
 
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{|cellpadding=3
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| Paradigm
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| Rule
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| Description
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| Example
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|-
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| 1
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| PLR:=0>"s";
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| Add "s" to the end of the word
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| boy > boys
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|-
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| 2
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| PLR:="y">"ies";
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| Replace "y" by "ies" at the end of the word
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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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{|cellpadding=3
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| Rule
 
| Rule
 
| Description
 
| Description
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| Replace the whole word by "children"
 
| Replace the whole word by "children"
 
| child > children
 
| child > children
|-
 
| ...
 
| ...
 
| ...
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
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== Syntax ==  
 
== Syntax ==  
  
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.

Revision as of 11:08, 20 March 2010

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

Rule Description Case
PLR:="men"; Replace the whole word by "men" man > men
PLR:="mice"; Replace the whole word by "mice" mouse > mice
PLR:="feet"; Replace the whole word by "feet" foot > feet
PLR:="children"; Replace the whole word by "children" child > children

The difference between inflectional paradigms and inflectional rules is mainly a question of frequency. 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.

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.

Software