Re: [SHOEBOX] answers to David and jeff

> From: WickedBob@aol.com [mailto:WickedBob@aol.com]
>
> So far all I can come up with is prettyr kludgey and probably time
> consuming... but here goes.  :)
>
> \lx mastmear
> \u masad - mear -0
> \a mastmeare (assuming this would be correct to indicate the ergative...)
> \u masad - mear -e
>
> assuming mastmeare is the ergative form, you will get it all
> correct.  The
> problem lies in the fact that each of your nouns will need the
> complete set
> of alternate forms regardless of regularity... I tried using variables to
> make this easier, but it seems not to work.  Maybe somebody else can shed
> some light.  You will need a lexical entry for -0, the null
> morpheme, but it
> would normally be printed in the dictionary.  But Shoebox, of
> course, handles
> this by letting you filter out records.  simply add a no-print marker or
> something, which you can use to filter out fields not intended
> for printing.
> :)  By the way, what the heck does Ausgezeichnet mean????? :)

Jeff, are you aware that your last two responses were sent directly to me
and not the list.  I responded to the list because I assumed that was what
you meant to do.

Your suggestion would work, but would require including entries for
absolutive and ergative for all nouns, 3rd persons pronouns and
demonstratives and nominative (also a null morpheme) and accusative for all
speech-act pronouns.  Not exactly elegant, but neither is hardcoding the
null morphemes in the text.

BTW, you made some good guesses on the forms.  Actually the ergative of
'mastmear' would be 'mastmearre', but the gemination is handled by the
ergative inflection.

I haven't tried playing with variables yet.  I suppose I should.

Ausgezeichnet = German for excellent!

Thanks again,

David

David E. Bell
The Gray Wizard
    dbell@graywizard.net
    www.graywizard.net

"Wisdom begins in wonder." - Socrates