# German Lexical Paradigms

Last update: 2006-11-13 16:54:32 CET

- Parameters
- Nouns
  - Proper names and noun phrases
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Prepositions
- 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 & Harald Hammarström 2003--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 `MorphoGer.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 `IrregGer` which covers irregularly inflected verbs.

        resource ParadigmsGer = open
          (Predef=Predef),
          Prelude,
          MorphoGer,
          CatGer
          in {

## Parameters

To abstract over gender names, we define the following identifiers.

        oper
          Gender    : Type ;

          masculine : Gender ;
          feminine  : Gender ;
          neuter    : Gender ;

To abstract over case names, we define the following.

          Case       : Type ;

          nominative : Case ;
          accusative : Case ;
          dative     : Case ;
          genitive   : Case ;

To abstract over number names, we define the following.

          Number    : Type ;

          singular  : Number ;
          plural    : Number ;

## Nouns

Worst case: give all four singular forms, two plural forms (others + dative), and the gender.

          mkN : (x1,_,_,_,_,x6 : Str) -> Gender -> N ;
                               -- mann, mann, manne, mannes, männer, männern

The regular heuristics recognizes some suffixes, from which it guesses the gender and the declension: e, ung, ion give the feminine with plural ending -n, -en, and the rest are masculines with the plural -e (without Umlaut).

          regN : Str -> N ;

The 'almost regular' case is much like the information given in an ordinary dictionary. It takes the singular and plural nominative and the gender, and infers the other forms from these.

          reg2N : (x1,x2 : Str) -> Gender -> N ;

Relational nouns need a preposition. The most common is von with the dative. Some prepositions are constructed in StructuralGer.

          mkN2  : N -> Prep -> N2 ;
          vonN2 : N -> N2 ;

Use the function `mkPrep` or see the section on prepositions below to form other prepositions.

Three-place relational nouns (die Verbindung von x nach y) need two prepositions.

          mkN3 : N -> Prep -> Prep -> N3 ;

### Proper names and noun phrases

Proper names, with a regular genitive, are formed as follows The regular genitive is s, omitted after s.

          mkPN  : (karolus, karoli : Str) -> PN ; -- karolus, karoli
          regPN : (Johann : Str) -> PN ;
            -- Johann, Johanns ; Johannes, Johannes

## Adjectives

Adjectives need three forms, one for each degree.

          mkA : (x1,_,x3 : Str) -> A ; -- gut,besser,beste

The regular adjective formation works for most cases, and includes variations such as teuer - teurer, böse - böser.

          regA : Str -> A ;

Invariable adjective are a special case.

          invarA : Str -> A ;            -- prima

Two-place adjectives are formed by adding a preposition to an adjective.

          mkA2 : A -> Prep -> A2 ;

## Adverbs

Adverbs are just strings.

          mkAdv : Str -> Adv ;

## Prepositions

A preposition is formed from a string and a case.

          mkPrep : Str -> Case -> Prep ;

Often just a case with the empty string is enough.

          accPrep : Prep ;
          datPrep : Prep ;
          genPrep : Prep ;

A couple of common prepositions (always with the dative).

          von_Prep : Prep ;
          zu_Prep  : Prep ;

## Verbs

The worst-case constructor needs six forms:

- Infinitive,
- 3p sg pres. indicative,
- 2p sg imperative,
- 1/3p sg imperfect indicative,
- 1/3p sg imperfect subjunctive (because this uncommon form can have umlaut)
- the perfect participle

          mkV : (x1,_,_,_,_,x6 : Str) -> V ;   -- geben, gibt, gib, gab, gäbe, gegeben

Weak verbs are sometimes called regular verbs.

          regV : Str -> V ;                    -- führen

Irregular verbs use Ablaut and, in the worst cases, also Umlaut.

          irregV : (x1,_,_,_,x5 : Str) -> V ; -- sehen, sieht, sah, sähe, gesehen

To remove the past participle prefix ge, e.g. for the verbs prefixed by be-, ver-.

          no_geV : V -> V ;

To add a movable suffix e.g. auf(fassen).

          prefixV : Str -> V -> V ;

To change the auxiliary from haben (default) to sein and vice-versa.

          seinV  : V -> V ;
          habenV : V -> V ;

Reflexive verbs can take reflexive pronouns of different cases.

          reflV  : V -> Case -> V ;

### Two-place verbs

Two-place verbs need a preposition, except the special case with direct object (accusative, transitive verbs). There is also a case for dative objects.

          mkV2  : V -> Prep -> V2 ;

          dirV2 : V -> V2 ;
          datV2 : V -> V2 ;

### Three-place verbs

Three-place (ditransitive) verbs need two prepositions, of which the first one or both can be absent.

          mkV3     : V -> Prep -> Prep -> V3 ;  -- sprechen, mit, über
          dirV3    : V -> Prep -> V3 ;          -- senden,(accusative),nach
          accdatV3 : V -> V3 ;                  -- give,accusative,dative

### 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 ;
          mkV2V : V -> Prep -> V2V ;
          mkVA  : V -> VA ;
          mkV2A : V -> Prep -> V2A ;
          mkVQ  : V -> VQ ;
          mkV2Q : V -> Prep -> V2Q ;

          mkAS  : A -> AS ;
          mkA2S : A -> Prep -> A2S ;
          mkAV  : A -> AV ;
          mkA2V : A -> Prep -> A2V ;

Notice: categories `V2S, V2V, V2A, 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, V2A, V2Q : Type ;
          AS, A2S, AV, A2V : Type ;