# French Lexical Paradigms

Last update: 2007-07-06 09:17:50 CEST

- Parameters
- Nouns
  - Compound nouns
  - Relational nouns
  - Relational common noun phrases
  - Proper names and noun phrases
- Adjectives
  - Two-place adjectives
- Adverbs
- Verbs
  - Two-place verbs
  - Three-place verbs
  - Other complement patterns

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 ;

## Parameters

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 ;

## Nouns

          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 ;

### Compound nouns

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

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 ;

### Relational common noun phrases

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 and noun phrases

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
            } ;

## Adjectives

          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

Two-place adjectives need a preposition for their second argument.

          mkA2 : A -> Prep -> A2 ;

## Adverbs

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 ;

## Verbs

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

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 verbs

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
            } ;

### Other complement patterns

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 ;