Marking "affix" in Toolbox DB for FLEx import

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Marking "affix" in Toolbox DB for FLEx import

Posted by Jeff Heath 2014-01-24 11:13 posts: 1 ☆

I'm trying to convert a Toolbox DB for the Agusan Manobo language of the Philippines. (See http://www-01.sil.org/asia/philippines/online/msm/lexicon/main.htm.) A number of words have an affix "Aff:" field. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but apparently it is an affix that is used to change the root given in the lexicon to a written or spoken form. Consider the following sample entry:

\lx baes
\ps adj
\lf Aff
\lv ma-
\ge rough
\lf Ant
\lv a'linoy; 'hinglis
\dt 18/Apr/2000

At a minimum I need to move the \lf Aff\lv pair past the \ge and put in a \sn for the FLEx import. But I'm thinking that \lf (which marks a lexical relation, like the Antonyms also in this record) is not the right way to do it. Can anyone suggest an MDF marking that would import this information in a more appropriate place?

Thanks,
Jeff

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Posted by John Dillon 2014-01-28 18:08 posts: 4 ☆ ☆ ☆ United States

I don't have any answers, but several questions come to mind.

Is there a linguist in this language or a related language who could answer questions about the language?

Is there a written grammar of the language or related language that could be of some help?

Are there other Philippine dictionaries that have "\lf Aff"? How do they implement it?

As I have thought about what is the significance of \lf Aff \lv ma-, I've thought that it may indicate that the lexeme can take the affix ma-. But if that were the case, why would some entries in the Agusan Manobo - English Dictionary list the affixed form instead? For example, compare these two entries:

'agbot adj. intense; loud. Aff: ma-.

'aghad v. clear the throat of phlegm.

ma'aghad adj. sore, of throat.

Do both of these entries refer to the same prefix ma-? I tried looking up ma- in the dictionary to give me a clue, but there is no such entry.

I don't know if I've been of any help, but I hope that you're able to find someone who can help.

--John

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Posted by Jonathan Coombs 2014-01-29 05:08 posts: 2 ☆ ☆

I think John's right. I've seen both approaches used, perhaps mostly as a matter of preference. (Note: only full forms can be converted into something that could import as a subentry.) But when one linguist uses both approach, I think the full term tends to be used for a derivative, and the brief affix for an inflected form. (The former would typically deserve a full subentry in FLEx, and the latter could just be stuffed into a custom paradigm field.) That's guesswork, though.

I think you're right that lexical relation isn't quite the correct field here; I'm guessing that the label/value pair was a tempting thing to hijack. Also, be aware that there can be quite a different mentality in the Philippine-branch dictionaries, which sometime even leaks into dictionaries that are otherwise pretty standard MDF. Sometimes you have to look through a lot of entries to see the pattern. (Solid can help with that.)

BTW, a full-scale PLB SFM lexicon following the old manual would be extremely difficulty to import into FLEx without a lot of skewing. For the gory details, see this:

http://wiki.lingtransoft.info/doku.php?id=tutorials:toolbox#specific_techniques_for_specific_needs

In a nutshell, PLB SFM uses senses in a stem-based structure to do roughly what subentries would do in a root-based structure. So, if it were possible for FLEx to import subentries of senses (which it currently cannot), then that could probably line up fairly closely and reduce the skewing a lot. But it might be better anyway to slog through restructuring the thing.

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Posted by ian_mcquay 2014-01-29 09:40 posts: 1 ☆

I sent this to Jeff separately.

I found another Philippine dictionary that was in MDF. The following entry comes from the markup below.

taas tàás adj. MA-, HI-, HA-.
hitàás adj. 1) tall, high. Hitaas siya. He is tall. Ant: hamubo ‘short’.
hatàás adj. 1) tall, high. 2) lengthy (fig.). Hataas ini na huraw. This is a lengthy dry-season.

\lx taas
\ph tàás
\ps adj
\de MA-, HI-, HA-
\se hitàás
\ps adj
\sn 1
\ge tall
\re tall ; high
\de tall, high
\xv Hitaas siya.
\xe He is tall.
\lf Ant: hamubo
\le short
\se hatàás
\ps adj
\sn 1
\ge tall
\re *
\de tall, high
\sn 2
\ge lengthy_(fig.)
\re lengthy (fig.)
\de lengthy (fig.)
\xv Hataas ini na huraw.
\xe This is a lengthy dry-season.

So a different field, \de, is hijack here for handling the affix data here. Still not a solution but it indicates the display intent.

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