[Lexicog] Shoebox problem: I need a parsing database

[Mike Maxwell]

Susan Gehr wrote:
> ...I changed the ípak record by adding an alternate form:
>
> \lx ípak
> \a ípa
>
> but if I recall from your excellent class that stems shouldn't have a bunch
> of alternate forms, they should go on the prefixes & suffixes.

It seems to me that there is a linguistic issue here, and perhaps the
particular parser is forcing a solution which might be non-optimal from
a linguistic standpoint.

For example, consider a hypothetical language in which stems have both
C-final allomorphs and allomorphs which lack the final C, perhaps before
  C-initial suffixes.  Then if one is constrained to represent
allomorphy on the affixes where possible, not on the stems, one is
forced to an awkward solution: If there are N consonants in the
language, then each suffix which allows the C-final stem allomorph would
have N + 1 allomorphs, each of which would need to be constrained to
follow a particular and arbitrary list of stems (N+1 paradigm classes,
in essence).

If OTOH the parser does not constrain the solution to allow (or prefer?)
affix allomorphy, then the obvious solution would be either to have
stems with two allomorphs, with phonological selection between these
allomorphs, or else for stems to have an underlying C-final form, with a
phonological rule of C-deletion.

I think from a linguistic standpoint, the latter solution is usually
preferable.  (Old linguists may however recall a paper concerning a
similar phenomenon in a Polynesian language--I forget which one--that
appeared to demonstrate the paradigm class solution was what native
speakers actually did, at least in certain circumstances.)

I realize that if you're using the Shoebox parser, you may not be able
to use the "linguistically preferred" solution (and not knowing your
language, the affix allomorphy solution may actually be the right one).
  But I think it is important to distinguish between a linguistically
motivated analysis, and an analysis that our tools force on us.

--
	Mike Maxwell
	Linguistic Data Consortium
	maxwell at ldc.upenn.edu


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