Distribution: Difference between revisions

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'''Distribution''' or '''precedence''' refers to the study of the order of the syntactic constituents of a language. In the UNLarium framework, the distribution is informed in the grammar, if general, or in the dictionary, in case of exceptions or categories that do not follow a regular distributional pattern (such as English adverbs). Distribution is not informed in UNL.
== IBEF/IAFT ==


== Values ==
What's this? Any examples?
In the UNL<sup>arium</sup> framework, distribution may assume the following values:
 
{{#tree:id=DIS|openlevels=0|root=Distribution (DIS)|
*front (FRT): at the beginning of the clause
*before (BEF or <<): at the left side, before a blank space
*after (AFT or >>): at the right side, after a blank space
*immediately before (IBEF or <): at the left side, without any blank space
*immediately after (IAFT or >): at the right side, without any blank space
*middle (MID): coming in the middle
*free (FRE): coming either before or after
*end (END): at the end of the clause
}}
 
== Dictionary ==
Distribution is to be included in the dictionary in two cases:
*Exceptions to the general distribution rules, such as in some free order adjectives:
**"it is the only solution '''possible'''" or "it is the only '''possible''' solution"
*Categories with irregular distribution, such as adverbs:
**'''Usually''' I get up early.
**I '''often''' get headaches.
**She speaks English '''well'''.
 
In English, for instance, articles are always premodifiers. Therefore, distribution of articles must not be informed in the dictionary, but stated through a rule in the grammar. The same applies to determiners (such as "this") and ordinary adjectives (such as "beautiful"), whose distribution may be assumed by default: adjectives and determiners normally precede their modified.
 
=== Examples ===
*beautiful
**No distribution to be informed in the dictionary
*the
**No distribution to be informed in the dictionary
*very = BEF
**In English, the intensifier "very" is a premodifier: ''He is very rich'' (<strike>''He is rich very''</strike>)
*well = AFT
**In English, the adverb of manner "well" is a postmodifier: ''He speaks well'' (<strike>''He well speaks''</strike>)
*yesterday = FRE
**In English, the adverb of time "yesterday" may come either before or after the modified: ''Now I go'' or ''I go now''.
 
==== Observations ====
;Middle position is used only for words to be inserted inside others (i.e., between the prefix and the root, or the root and the suffix).
:Adverbs coming between auxiliaries and verbs must be defined as premodifiers.
 
 
=== Representing distribution in the grammar ===
In the grammar, distribution is defined through [[S-rule]]s in the following format:
 
<SYNTACTIC ROLE>(<DISTRIBUTION>);
 
Where:<br />
*<SYNTACTIC ROLE> is the [[Syntax#Syntactic_Roles|syntactic role]] (VA, VC, VS, VH, etc) of the constituent in relation to the head; and
*<DISTRIBUTION> is the position of the constituent in relation to the head. It may assume one of the distribution values indicated above ("FNT","BEF",">>",etc).
 
==== Examples ====
;VS(<<);
:the specifier must be generated to the left of the verb
;VC(>>);
:the complement must be generated to the right of the verb
 
==== Observations ====
;Complex distribution
:A single distribution rule may contain several distribution operations:
:*VS(<<)VC(>>); (the specifier will be generated to the left and the complement to the right of the head)
;Conditional distribution
:Conditional distribution may be stated by defining the left side of the s-rule and coindexing it to the right side:
:*VC(>>); (unconditional distribution: the complement will be always generated to the right of the verb);
:*VC(PPR):=VC(<<); (conditional distribution: the complement will be generated to the left of the verb if a personal pronoun (PPR);
;Reordering
:Reordering can be done in three different ways:
:*By [[Ph-rule]]s, if the process involves neighbour constituents and affects only the surface structure of the phrase;
:*By attribute change (i.e., deleting and adding distribution features), such as in "VC(->>,<<);" (i.e.,delete the "after" attribute and add the "before" attribute), in case of neighbour constituents or neighbour projections
:*By [[movement]], in case of more complex inversions and extraction of constituents
;The symbol '''^''' is used for negation and to control infinite recursion:
:*VC(^>>):=VC(>>); (assign the "after" attribute to the complement of the verb if it does not have it yet)

Latest revision as of 18:32, 23 August 2012

IBEF/IAFT

What's this? Any examples?