Inflectional paradigms

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Inflectional paradigms are used to generate the inflected forms out of the [[base form]].  
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Inflectional paradigms are sets of rules used to generate the inflected forms out of the [[base form]].  
  
 
== When to use inflectional paradigms ==
 
== When to use inflectional paradigms ==
  
Inflectional paradigms must be created in case of regular or almost regular inflective behavior, i.e., whenever there can be stated a regular pattern for inflecting words, such as nouns, adjectives and verbs.
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Inflectional paradigms must be created in case of regular or almost regular inflective behaviour, i.e., whenever there can be stated a regular pattern for inflecting words, such as nouns, adjectives and verbs.
  
 
== When not to use inflectional paradigms ==
 
== When not to use inflectional paradigms ==
  
Inflectional paradigms should not be used in case of non-inflectional words (such as adverbs) or words that are already inflected (such as personal pronouns).  
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Inflectional paradigms should not be used in case of non-inflectional words (such as adverbs) or words that are already inflected (such as personal pronouns). Inflectional paradigms should also be avoided in case of irregular behaviour, which should be described by [[inflectional rules]].  
Inflectional paradigms should also be avoided in case of irregular behavior, which should be described rather by [[inflectional rules]].  
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== Example ==
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== Reference ==
  
The plural of English nouns is considerably regular and can be treated, in most cases, by the following '''inflectional paradigms''':
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The paradigms are referred as follows:
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*by its common name (such as "first declension", "first group"), in case of well-established reference;
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*by the rule itself, in case of single-rule paradigms;
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*by the most distinctive rule, if any; or
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*by a "leading form", i.e., a typical example (a prototype) representative of the whole category, otherwise.
  
{| border="1" cellpadding="5"
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There are two predefined paradigms in the UNL<sup>arium</sup>:
| Paradigm
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;INVARIANT
| Rule
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: If the word is not inflectional (case of adverbs in English, for instance) or does not accept any inflectional variant (case of "clothes", used only in plural, or "species", that has the same form in singular and plural). In this latter case, the field "Descriptive Morphology" should explicit the value of the lemma.
| Description
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;IRREGULAR
| Example
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: If the word is inflectional but does not follow any existing paradigm, as in irregular forms (such as "man", "mouse", "foot" and "child" listed above). In this case, the corresponding inflectional rules should be provided as "inflectional rules".
|-
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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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== Examples ==
  
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="5"
| Rule
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!Name
| Description
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!Rules
| Case
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!Description
 +
!Examples
 
|-
 
|-
| PLR:="men";
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|PLR:=0>"s"
| Replace the whole word by "men"
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|PLR:=0>"s"
| man > men
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|Add "s" to the end of the form
|-
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|table>tables, boy>boys, etc
| PLR:="mice";
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| Replace the whole word by "mice"
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| mouse > mice
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|-
 
|-
| PLR:="feet";
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|PLR:="y">"ies"
| Replace the whole word by "feet"
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|PLR:="y">"ies"
| foot > feet
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|Replace "y" by "ies" at the end of the form
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|baby>babies, city>cities, etc
 
|-
 
|-
| PLR:="children";
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|PLR:="f">"ves"
| Replace the whole word by "children"
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|PLR:="f">"ves"
| child > children
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|Replace "f" by "ves" at the end of the form
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|wolf>wolves, half>halves, etc
 
|-
 
|-
| ...
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|PAS:=0>"ed"
| ...
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|PAS:=0>"ed";GER:=0>"ing";PTP:=0>"ed";3PS&PRS&IND:=0>"s";
| ...
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|Add "ed" in the simple past, "ing" in the gerund, ...
 +
|work>worked, ask>asked, etc
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|-
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|PAS:=0>"d"
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|PAS:=0>"d";GER:=e>"ing";PTP:=0>"d";3PS&PRS&IND:=0>"s";
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|Add "d" in the simple past, replace the final "e" by "ing" in the gerund, ...
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|use>used, arrange>arranged, etc
 
|}
 
|}
 
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 ==  
 
== Syntax ==  
 
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Inflectional paradigms (as well as inflectional rules) comply with the '''[[A-rule]]''' formalism for writing morphological rules in the UNLarium framework.
Inflectional paradigms (as well as inflectional rules) should comply with the '''[[A-rule]]''' formalism for writing morphological rules in the UNLarium framework.
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== Predefined paradigms ==
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There are two predefined paradigms in the UNLarium:
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;INVARIANT
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: If the word is not inflectional (case of adverbs in English, for instance) or does not accept any inflectional variant (case of "clothes", used only in plural, or "species", that has the same form in singular and plural). In this latter case, the field "Descriptive Morphology" should explicit the value of the lemma.
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;IRREGULAR
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: If the word is inflectional but does not follow an existing paradigm, as in irregular forms (such as "man", "mouse", "foot" and "child" listed above). In this case, the corresponding inflectional rules should be provided in the field "Inflectional Rules".
+

Revision as of 11:05, 20 March 2010

Inflectional paradigms are sets of rules used to generate the inflected forms out of the base form.

Contents

When to use inflectional paradigms

Inflectional paradigms must be created in case of regular or almost regular inflective behaviour, i.e., whenever there can be stated a regular pattern for inflecting words, such as nouns, adjectives and verbs.

When not to use inflectional paradigms

Inflectional paradigms should not be used in case of non-inflectional words (such as adverbs) or words that are already inflected (such as personal pronouns). Inflectional paradigms should also be avoided in case of irregular behaviour, which should be described by inflectional rules.

Reference

The paradigms are referred as follows:

  • by its common name (such as "first declension", "first group"), in case of well-established reference;
  • by the rule itself, in case of single-rule paradigms;
  • by the most distinctive rule, if any; or
  • by a "leading form", i.e., a typical example (a prototype) representative of the whole category, otherwise.

There are two predefined paradigms in the UNLarium:

INVARIANT
If the word is not inflectional (case of adverbs in English, for instance) or does not accept any inflectional variant (case of "clothes", used only in plural, or "species", that has the same form in singular and plural). In this latter case, the field "Descriptive Morphology" should explicit the value of the lemma.
IRREGULAR
If the word is inflectional but does not follow any existing paradigm, as in irregular forms (such as "man", "mouse", "foot" and "child" listed above). In this case, the corresponding inflectional rules should be provided as "inflectional rules".

Examples

Name Rules Description Examples
PLR:=0>"s" PLR:=0>"s" Add "s" to the end of the form table>tables, boy>boys, etc
PLR:="y">"ies" PLR:="y">"ies" Replace "y" by "ies" at the end of the form baby>babies, city>cities, etc
PLR:="f">"ves" PLR:="f">"ves" Replace "f" by "ves" at the end of the form wolf>wolves, half>halves, etc
PAS:=0>"ed" PAS:=0>"ed";GER:=0>"ing";PTP:=0>"ed";3PS&PRS&IND:=0>"s"; Add "ed" in the simple past, "ing" in the gerund, ... work>worked, ask>asked, etc
PAS:=0>"d" PAS:=0>"d";GER:=e>"ing";PTP:=0>"d";3PS&PRS&IND:=0>"s"; Add "d" in the simple past, replace the final "e" by "ing" in the gerund, ... use>used, arrange>arranged, etc

Syntax

Inflectional paradigms (as well as inflectional rules) comply with the A-rule formalism for writing morphological rules in the UNLarium framework.

Software