Re: [engelang] Xorban: Termsets - engelang messages

On Mon, Sep 24, 2012 at 8:57 AM, Jorge Llambías <jjllambias@hidden.email> wrote:

On Mon, Sep 24, 2012 at 4:56 AM, Mike S. <maikxlx@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> _Shorthand Rules with Trees_
>
> sentence := formula | explicit-sentence
> explicit-sentence := c VkV formula | w VkV
> formula := (C C C* | q ( C? V? )* q) VkV | term formula | foretree formula
> | formula aftertree
> aftertree := hi explicit-sentence? | term aftertree | coordinator
> aftertree aftertree
> foretree := he explicit-sentence? | term foretree | coordinator foretree
> foretree
> term := (b|f|d|v|m|n) VkV | (l|r|s|x|g) VkV formula | coordinator formula
> coordinator := j VkV
> VkV := V (k V)* explicit-sentence?
> V := ( a | e | i | o | u ) ( ‘ V )?
> C := b | c | d | f | g | j | k | l | m | n | p | r | s | t | v | x | z

In selma'o notation, this would become:

sentence := formula | CA formula | WA
formula := CCA | term formula | foretree formula | formula aftertree
aftertree := HI | term aftertree | JA aftertree aftertree
foretree := HE | term foretree | JA foretree foretree
term := NA | LA formula | JA formula

where the rules for constructing words have been omitted. (And also
that each word can be followed by an explicit-sentence.)

Eight parts of speech so far isn't too bad. As a side note, I'll quickly mention here three things about trees I've discovered so far that the speaker will have to remain aware of:

1. aftertrees must precede non-interjection parentheticals after the "head simple formula", or else the aftertrees will attach to the wrong formula, in case that's not obvious.

2. unaries like "fV" and (depending on meaning) "na" should come after the foretrees, or else the first foretree will consume them and hide them from the other foretrees:

la ma djna he lu _fu_ ra grka he ju glka xkra ra mlta hi ju stda jnvaku la ma lce hi.
INTENDED: "John, that all dogs are happly black, as are all cats, firmly believes, as does Alice."

"fu" here is misplaced and needs to go in front of "ju glka xkra".

3. In nested formulas like above, one should NOT move the binder introducing the event variable, or else the outer foretrees will attach to the inner predication.

la ma djna he ra grka he _lu fu_ ju glka xkra ra mlta hi ju stda jnvaku la ma lce hi.
"that John, and all dogs, are happly black, as are all cats, firmly believes, Alice does."

Other than that, no problems so far. I'd definitely consider these things experimental and hammer on them for a while.

Should "JA formula" really be a term, or should we rather have:

formula := CCA | term formula | JA formula formula | foretree formula
| formula aftertree
aftertree := HI | term aftertree | JA aftertree aftertree
foretree := HE | term foretree | JA foretree foretree
term := NA | LA formula

?

co ma'a xrxe