Re: Lexicon counting (was: Weekly Vocab #1.1.1...)

Hi!

Iain E. Davis writes:
> ----------------------> Carsten Becker wrote:
> > is that my database does not accept sub-entries, so every
>
> I have the same issue, although I don't believe Taraitola has any
> constructions like tapiao, so it is less of a concern.
> >   tapiao - to put; to set
> >   tapiao dayrin - to save ("to put aside")
> ...[snipped]
>
> Hmm. Since each of those have a distinct meaning, I'd argue that in terms of
> counting, you should count them all. :)
>...
I'd count those, too.  Definitely, those are lexicon entries for me.

>...
> > handful. Futhermore, since Ayeri is an agglutinative
> > language, it has lots of suffixes -- these are also counted
> > as words, even the ones that only have a syntactical meaning.
>
> We differ here...as I mentioned to Henrik, I don't list any suffixed forms.
> There are some exceptions where some affixes completely change the meaning,
> but for the most part, it is only the 'original' form. :)
>...
I think Carsten means he counts the suffix *once*, not each suffixed
word form.  In Fukhian, which is also agglutinative, I do the same.
Since the suffixed forms are (mostly) regularly derived, and since the
suffix is something you'd most probably count in an isolating lang, I
would say counting them in an agglutinative lang feels right to me.

In an inflected lang, there often is no suffix to count, since the
forms are too irregular to find a meaningly form to put in the
lexicon.

In Þrjótrunn, I do count derivational suffixes and prefixes such as
IIRC -ær < -o:ris, the verb->agent maker or dér- < dis-, the prefix.

**Henrik