Appendix Signature of the basic fragment

sign

Features:

• PHON list(phonstring)
• SYNSEM synsem

word

Features:

• ARG-ST list(synsem)

phrase

Features:

• DTRS list(sign)

headed-phrase

Features:

• H-DTR sign

head-complement-phrase

Features:

• H-DTR word

head-modifier-phrase

(not discussed in the textbook)

synsem

Features:

• LOC local
• NONLOC nonlocal

local

Features:

• CAT category
• CONT content
• CONTEXT context

category

Features:

• HEAD head
• VAL valence

context

The sort encodes pragmatic information. This is not dealt with in the textbook.

head

We only use a very limited number of subsorts of head and only very few head features in the textbook, compared to more syntactically oriented HPSG publications.

verb

Features:

• VFORM vform
• AUX boolean
• INV boolean

noun

Features:

• CASE case

preposition

Features:

• PFORM pform

adjective

Features:

• PRED boolean

valence

Features:

• SUBJ list(synsem)
• SPR list(synsem)
• COMPS list(synsem)

vform

There are the following subsorts of vform:

• fin(ite): for finite forms
• inf(initival): for infinitival to
• base: for the base form, as occurring in Alex might snore.
• prog(ressive): -ing form as in Alex was snoring
• ger(und): -ing form
• past-participle: active past participle as in Alex has snored.
• passive: passive participle as in The book was read.

case

English has only two case forms: nominative and accusative.

• nom(inative)
• acc(usative)

pform

Each preposition that can occur as an argument-marking preposition has one particular subsort of pform:

• to: as in talk to someone
• on: as in rely on someone
• for: as in wait for someone
• by: as in the passive: written by someone
• of: as in the destruction of the city

boolean

There are two subsorts of boolean:

• plus
• minus