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Re: [engelang] Xorban: Termsets

On Sat, Sep 29, 2012 at 8:21 PM, Jorge Llambías <jjllambias@hidden.email> wrote:
 

On Sat, Sep 29, 2012 at 2:37 PM, Mike S. <maikxlx@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> formula := core-formula | foretree formula
> foretree := HE | term foretree | JA foretree foretree
> core-formula := CCA | term core-formula
> term := NA | LA formula | JA formula
>
> Re whether the rules generate generate everything we want: I think that
> the rules generate exactly what we want, namely zero or more implicitly
> conjoined foretrees per "clause". "Subordinate clauses" can have their own
> foretrees, but they would have to be embedded inside terms.

What seems to be missing is a way to do this:

sa he na ra he mlta xkra
"Some but not all cats are black."

Not sure how or whether it can be added.

co ma'a xrxe

Because each node is positively terminated by a binder, it *almost* can be made to work just as you show it, even to the extent of being able to recycle "he" for this new construct.  The problem here basically is that "na" is a term, and adding NAs to binder constructs will cause ambiguity when they appear in front of the foremost "binder tree".  I tried a couple things, but the only thing which seems clear and straightforward IMHO is to introduce a new set of coordinators specifically for binders. 

term := NA | binder formula | JA formula
binder := LA | binder-coordinator NA? binder NA? binder
binder-coordinator := he'e | he'a | he'o

One nice thing is that we don't need a counterpart to "he" -- binders themselves are the delimiters of binder constructs.  The other thing to bear in mind is that these binder constructs won't be as diverse as term trees -- coordinated binders will most likely appear in stock phrases like the one you gave as an example -- "he'e sa na ra" = some but not all, which is a common _expression_ in English.

So that's that.  Have you thought of anything for aftertrees?  Any ideas for getting them to work with parentheticals?

--
co ma'a mke

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