Re: Arabic and BACK TO Self-segregating morphology

--- Jim Henry <jimhenry1973@...> wrote:


<snip>

>
> You would need to select your vowel patterns
> so these would not be ambiguous:
>
> > nalija -> analinja
>
> NLJ + a-a-in-a
> or
> NLN + a-a-i-na
>
> > patina -> apatilna
>
> PTN + a-a-in-a
> or
> PTL + a-a-i-na
-na- is forbidden. -n may only follow the vowel, so
that source of ambiguity is removed.

What I'm trying to do right now is enumerate a list of
types of words that be derived from any given root
category so that a complete lexicon can be
systematically generated.

A Category is a group of words related to a specific
property. Each category has its inverse category
consisting of words which do not have the category
property. All categories have inverse catagories, but
not all inverse categories are useful.

Each category generates a family of related words,
each of which has a specific realtionship with the
category and it's associated property. The word types,
with examples from several categories, are below. Not
every word type will necessarily exist for every
category.

I. Property Nouns name the property that determines
membership in the category.
	category: existence/nonexistence. Property nouns:
existence/nonexistence.
	category: strength/weakness. Property nouns:
strength/weakness.
	category: light/darkness. Property nouns:
light/darkness.
	category: information/entropy. Property nouns:
information/entropy.
	category: writing/non-writing. Property nouns:
writing/---.
	category: knowledge/ignorance. Property nouns:
knowledge/ignorance.

II. Instance Nouns give the generic name of a member
of the category.
	category: existence/nonexistence. Instance nouns:
thing/nonexistent or fictional thing; nothing.
	category: strength/weakness. Instance nouns: ?/?.
	category: light/darkness. Instance nouns: ?/?.
	category: writing/non-writing. Instance nouns:
document/---.
	category: information/entropy Instance nouns:
fact/---.

III. Source nouns give the generic name of a
non-sentient source of or creator of the property
	that defines membership in the category.
	category: existence/nonexistence. Source nouns:
source; creator/destroyer.
	category: strength/weakness. Source nouns:
strengthener/weakener.
	category: light/darkness. Source nouns: lamp;
light/shadow.
	category: writing/non-writing. Source nouns: writing
instrument/eraser

IV. State Verbs assert that the subject has the
property of the category.
	category: existence/nonexistence. State verbs: to be;
to exist / to not be; to not exist.
	category: strength/weakness. State verbs: to be
strong / to be weak.
	category: light/darkness. State verbs: to be light /
to be dark.
	category: writing/non-writing. State verbs: to be
written / to be not written.
	category: knowledge/ignorance. State verbs: to be
known / to be unknown

V. Transition Verbs assert that the agent caused the
object to enter or leave the category.
	category: existence/nonexistence. Transition verbs:
to create / to anihilate.
	category: strength/weakness. Transition verbs: to
strengthen / to weaken.
	category: light/darkness. Transition verbs: to
illuminate / to darken.
	category: writing/non-writing. Transition verbs: to
write / to unwrite; to erase.
	category: knowledge/ignorance. Transition verbs: to
learn / to forget.

VI. State Adjectives assign the existence of the
property to the noun they modify.
	They have the same meaning as State Verbs.
	category: existence/nonexistence. State adjectives:
real/nonexistent.
	category: strength/weakness. State adjectives:
strong/weak.
	category: light/darkness. State adjectives:
light/dark.
	category: writing/non-writing. State adjectives:
written/unwritten.
	category: knowledge/ignorance. State adjectives:
known/unknown.

...and so on. I have about 15 types defined so far, so
I can systematically derive 30 words from each root.
I'm sure there are a lot more than 15, though.

--gary