Produced by gfdoc - a rudimentary GF document generator. (c) Aarne Ranta (aarne@cs.chalmers.se) 2002 under GNU GPL.
Aarne Ranta 2001 - 2006
This is an API for the user of the resource grammar for adding lexical items. It gives functions for forming expressions of open categories: nouns, adjectives, verbs.
Closed categories (determiners, pronouns, conjunctions) are
accessed through the resource syntax API, Structural.gf.
The main difference with MorphoFre.gf is that the types
referred to are compiled resource grammar types. We have moreover
had the design principle of always having existing forms, rather
than stems, as string arguments of the paradigms.
The structure of functions for each word class C is the following:
first we give a handful of patterns that aim to cover all
regular cases. Then we give a worst-case function mkC, which serves as an
escape to construct the most irregular words of type C.
However, this function should only seldom be needed: we have a
separate module IrregFre,
which covers all irregularly inflected verbs.
resource ParadigmsFre =
open
(Predef=Predef),
Prelude,
CommonRomance,
ResFre,
MorphoFre,
CatFre in {
flags optimize=all ;
To abstract over gender names, we define the following identifiers.
oper
Gender : Type ;
masculine : Gender ;
feminine : Gender ;
To abstract over number names, we define the following.
Number : Type ;
singular : Number ;
plural : Number ;
Prepositions used in many-argument functions are either strings (including the 'accusative' empty string) or strings that amalgamate with the following word (the 'genitive' de and the 'dative' à).
accusative : Prep ;
genitive : Prep ;
dative : Prep ;
mkPrep : Str -> Prep ;
mkN : overload {
The regular function uses heuristics to compute the plural and the gender from the singular. The plural heuristic currently covers the cases pas-pas, prix-prix, nez-nez, bijou-bijoux, cheveu-cheveux, plateau-plateaux, cheval-chevaux. The gender heuristic is less reliable: it treats as feminine all nouns ending with e and ion, all others as masculine.
mkN : (cheval : Str) -> N ;
Adding gender information widens the scope of the regular pattern.
mkN : (foie : Str) -> Gender -> N ;
In the worst case, both singular and plural forms and the gender are needed.
mkN : (oeil,yeux : Str) -> Gender -> N ;
Some nouns are ones where the first part is inflected as a noun but the second part is not inflected. e.g. numéro de téléphone. They could be formed in syntax, but we give a shortcut here since they are frequent in lexica.
mkN : N -> Str -> N
} ;
Relational nouns (fille de x) need a case and a preposition.
mkN2 : N -> Prep -> N2 ;
The most common cases are the genitive de and the dative à, with the empty preposition.
deN2 : N -> N2 ;
aN2 : N -> N2 ;
Three-place relational nouns (la connection de x à y) need two prepositions.
mkN3 : N -> Prep -> Prep -> N3 ;
In some cases, you may want to make a complex CN into a
relational noun (e.g. la vieille église de). However, N2 and
N3 are purely lexical categories. But you can use the AdvCN
and PrepNP constructions to build phrases like this.
Proper names need a string and a gender. If no gender is given, the feminine is used for strings ending with e, the masculine for other strings.
mkPN : overload {
mkPN : Str -> PN ;
mkPN : Str -> Gender -> PN
} ;
mkA : overload {
For regular adjectives, all forms are derived from the masculine singular. The heuristic takes into account certain deviant endings: banal-banale-banaux, chinois-chinoise-chinois, heureux-heureuse-heureux, italien-italienne, jeune-jeune, amer-amère, carré- - -carrément, joli- - -joliment.
mkA : (cher : Str) -> A ;
Often just the feminine singular is deviant.
mkA : (sec,seche : Str) -> A ;
This is the worst-case paradigm for the positive forms.
mkA : (banal,banale,banaux,banalement : Str) -> A ;
If comparison forms are irregular (i.e. not formed by plus, e.g. bon-meilleur), the positive and comparative can be given as separate adjectives.
mkA : A -> A -> A
} ;
The functions create by default postfix adjectives. To switch them to prefix ones (i.e. ones placed before the noun in modification, as in petite maison), the following function is provided.
prefixA : A -> A ;
Two-place adjectives need a preposition for their second argument.
mkA2 : A -> Prep -> A2 ;
Adverbs are not inflected. Most lexical ones have position after the verb.
mkAdv : Str -> Adv ;
Some appear next to the verb (e.g. toujours).
mkAdV : Str -> AdV ;
Adverbs modifying adjectives and sentences can also be formed.
mkAdA : Str -> AdA ;
Irregular verbs are given in the module IrregFre.
If a verb should be missing in that list, the module
BeschFre gives all the patterns of the Bescherelle book.
Regular verbs are ones with the infinitive er or ir, the latter with plural present indicative forms as finissons. The regular verb function in the first conjugation recognizes these endings, as well as the variations among aimer, céder, placer, peser, jeter, placer, manger, assiéger, payer.
Sometimes, however, it is not predictable which variant of the er conjugation is to be selected. Then it is better to use the function that gives the third person singular present indicative and future ((il) jette, jettera) as second argument.
mkV : overload {
mkV : (finir : Str) -> V ;
mkV : (jeter,jette,jettera : Str) -> V ;
The IrregFre list gives some verbs as two-place. These verbs can be
reused as one-place verbs.
mkV : V2 -> V
} ;
The function mkV gives the default compound auxiliary avoir.
To change it to être, use the following function.
etreV : V -> V ;
This function turns a verb into reflexive, which implies the auxiliary être.
reflV : V -> V ;
Two-place verbs need a preposition, except the special case with direct object. (transitive verbs).
mkV2 = overload {
mkV2 : V -> V2 = dirV2 ;
mkV2 : V -> Prep -> V2 = mmkV2
} ;
Three-place (ditransitive) verbs need two prepositions, of which the first one or both can be absent.
mkV3 : overload {
mkV3 : V -> V3 ; -- donner,_,_
mkV3 : V -> Prep -> V3 ; -- placer,_,dans
mkV3 : V -> Prep -> Prep -> V3 -- parler, à, de
} ;
Verbs and adjectives can take complements such as sentences, questions, verb phrases, and adjectives.
mkV0 : V -> V0 ;
mkVS : V -> VS ;
mkV2S : V -> Prep -> V2S ;
mkVV : V -> VV ; -- plain infinitive: "je veux parler"
deVV : V -> VV ; -- "j'essaie de parler"
aVV : V -> VV ; -- "j'arrive à parler"
mkV2V : V -> Prep -> Prep -> V2V ;
mkVA : V -> VA ;
mkV2A : V -> Prep -> Prep -> V2A ;
mkVQ : V -> VQ ;
mkV2Q : V -> Prep -> V2Q ;
mkAS : A -> AS ;
mkA2S : A -> Prep -> A2S ;
mkAV : A -> Prep -> AV ;
mkA2V : A -> Prep -> Prep -> A2V ;
Notice: categories V2S, V2V, V2Q are in v 1.0 treated
just as synonyms of V2, and the second argument is given
as an adverb. Likewise AS, A2S, AV, A2V are just A.
V0 is just V.
V0, V2S, V2V, V2Q : Type ;
AS, A2S, AV, A2V : Type ;