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gf-core/lib/resource/doc/gfdoc/Noun.html
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<TITLE> Noun: Nouns, noun phrases, and determiners</TITLE>
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<P ALIGN="center"><CENTER><H1> Noun: Nouns, noun phrases, and determiners</H1>
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<I>Last update: 2006-06-26 13:24:17 CEST</I><BR>
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<P></P>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="#toc1">Noun phrases</A>
<LI><A HREF="#toc2">Determiners</A>
<LI><A HREF="#toc3">Common nouns</A>
<LI><A HREF="#toc4">Apposition</A>
</UL>
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(c) Aarne Ranta (<A HREF="mailto:aarne@cs.chalmers.se">aarne@cs.chalmers.se</A>) 2002 under GNU GPL.
</P>
<PRE>
abstract Noun = Cat ** {
</PRE>
<P></P>
<A NAME="toc1"></A>
<H2>Noun phrases</H2>
<P>
The three main types of noun phrases are
</P>
<UL>
<LI>common nouns with determiners
<LI>proper names
<LI>pronouns
</UL>
<PRE>
fun
DetCN : Det -&gt; CN -&gt; NP ; -- the man
UsePN : PN -&gt; NP ; -- John
UsePron : Pron -&gt; NP ; -- he
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Pronouns are defined in the module <A HREF="Structural.html"><CODE>Structural</CODE></A>.
A noun phrase already formed can be modified by a <CODE>Predet</CODE>erminer.
</P>
<PRE>
PredetNP : Predet -&gt; NP -&gt; NP; -- only the man
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
A noun phrase can also be postmodified by the past participle of a
verb or by an adverb.
</P>
<PRE>
PPartNP : NP -&gt; V2 -&gt; NP ; -- the number squared
AdvNP : NP -&gt; Adv -&gt; NP ; -- Paris at midnight
</PRE>
<P></P>
<A NAME="toc2"></A>
<H2>Determiners</H2>
<P>
The determiner has a fine-grained structure, in which a 'nucleus'
quantifier and two optional parts can be discerned.
The cardinal numeral is only available for plural determiners.
(This is modified from CLE by further dividing their <CODE>Num</CODE> into
cardinal and ordinal.)
</P>
<PRE>
DetSg : QuantSg -&gt; Ord -&gt; Det ; -- this best man
DetPl : QuantPl -&gt; Num -&gt; Ord -&gt; Det ; -- these five best men
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Quantifiers that have both forms can be used in both ways.
</P>
<PRE>
SgQuant : Quant -&gt; QuantSg ; -- this
PlQuant : Quant -&gt; QuantPl ; -- these
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Pronouns have possessive forms. Genitives of other kinds
of noun phrases are not given here, since they are not possible
in e.g. Romance languages. They can be found in
<A HREF="../abstract/Extra.gf"><CODE>Extra</CODE></A>.
</P>
<PRE>
PossPron : Pron -&gt; Quant ; -- my (house)
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
All parts of the determiner can be empty, except <CODE>Quant</CODE>, which is
the <I>kernel</I> of a determiner.
</P>
<PRE>
NoNum : Num ;
NoOrd : Ord ;
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
<CODE>Num</CODE> consists of either digits or numeral words.
</P>
<PRE>
NumInt : Int -&gt; Num ; -- 51
NumNumeral : Numeral -&gt; Num ; -- fifty-one
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
The construction of numerals is defined in <A HREF="Numeral.html">Numeral</A>.
<CODE>Num</CODE> can be modified by certain adverbs.
</P>
<PRE>
AdNum : AdN -&gt; Num -&gt; Num ; -- almost 51
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
<CODE>Ord</CODE> consists of either digits or numeral words.
</P>
<PRE>
OrdInt : Int -&gt; Ord ; -- 51st
OrdNumeral : Numeral -&gt; Ord ; -- fifty-first
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Superlative forms of adjectives behave syntactically in the same way as
ordinals.
</P>
<PRE>
OrdSuperl : A -&gt; Ord ; -- largest
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Definite and indefinite constructions are sometimes realized as
neatly distinct words (Spanish <I>un, unos ; el, los</I>) but also without
any particular word (Finnish; Swedish definites).
</P>
<PRE>
DefArt : Quant ; -- the (house), the (houses)
IndefArt : Quant ; -- a (house), (houses)
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Nouns can be used without an article as mass nouns. The resource does
not distinguish mass nouns from other common nouns, which can result
in semantically odd expressions.
</P>
<PRE>
MassDet : QuantSg ; -- (beer)
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Other determiners are defined in <A HREF="Structural.html">Structural</A>.
</P>
<A NAME="toc3"></A>
<H2>Common nouns</H2>
<P>
Simple nouns can be used as nouns outright.
</P>
<PRE>
UseN : N -&gt; CN ; -- house
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Relational nouns take one or two arguments.
</P>
<PRE>
ComplN2 : N2 -&gt; NP -&gt; CN ; -- son of the king
ComplN3 : N3 -&gt; NP -&gt; N2 ; -- flight from Moscow (to Paris)
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Relational nouns can also be used without their arguments.
The semantics is typically derivative of the relational meaning.
</P>
<PRE>
UseN2 : N2 -&gt; CN ; -- son
UseN3 : N3 -&gt; CN ; -- flight
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Nouns can be modified by adjectives, relative clauses, and adverbs
(the last rule will give rise to many 'PP attachment' ambiguities
when used in connection with verb phrases).
</P>
<PRE>
AdjCN : AP -&gt; CN -&gt; CN ; -- big house
RelCN : CN -&gt; RS -&gt; CN ; -- house that John owns
AdvCN : CN -&gt; Adv -&gt; CN ; -- house on the hill
</PRE>
<P></P>
<P>
Nouns can also be modified by embedded sentences and questions.
For some nouns this makes little sense, but we leave this for applications
to decide. Sentential complements are defined in <A HREF="Verb.html">Verb</A>.
</P>
<PRE>
SentCN : CN -&gt; SC -&gt; CN ; -- fact that John smokes, question if he does
</PRE>
<P></P>
<A NAME="toc4"></A>
<H2>Apposition</H2>
<P>
This is certainly overgenerating.
</P>
<PRE>
ApposCN : CN -&gt; NP -&gt; CN ; -- number x, numbers x and y
} ;
</PRE>
<P></P>
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