Eckhard Bick - VISL

(1) a tag, word form or base form, e.g. N [for noun], “”, “ir”
(2) any combination of (1) appearing in the same reading in this order, flanked by
parentheses, e.g. (N M P) [for noun masculine plural], (“ser” V).
Set-elements from (b) can be linked by the following operators:
union: OR or | , e.g. set1 OR set2 OR (tag3) OR (N F S)
concatenation: + , e.g.. set1 + set2, yields all possible combinations of the 2 sets'
elements. SET set1 = (V) and SET set2 = (INF) (GER) (PCP) , for instance, yield,
when concatenated, all non-finite verb forms: (V INF) (V GER) (V PCP).
difference: - , e.g. set1 - set2, meaning set 1 without those elements comprising set2.
SET @ARG-NON-SUBJ = @ARG - (@SUBJ), in connection with a previously
defined SET @ARG = (@SUBJ) (@ACC) (@DAT) (@PIV), for instance, yields all
clause level arguments with the exception of the subject.
Operators + and - are handled first, before OR. The same operators may also be used
outside the definition section, in the rules, in order to link sets or tags (which, in this
case, must first be turned into "sets" by a pair of parentheses).
CONSTRAINTS
A CG-rule has the following general form:
WORD FORM OPERATION TARGET IF (CONTEXT1) (CONTEXT2) ...;
OPERATION:
(a) REMOVE
Removes, if the context condition is true, the line containing the TARGET tag, - unless
this reading is the last surviving tag. For @-targets - conventionally syntactic function
tags - the TARGET tag is removed from its line, unless it is the last surviving @-tag.
(b) SELECT
In principle, the opposite of REMOVE, - it removes all other reading line but the one
(or those) containing the TARGET tag. For @-tags, all others are removed from this
line.
WORD FORM:
Optional part of a rule, limiting the rule for use with this word form only. Cannot be
combined with other tags into a complex tag, but is otherwise like a context condition
for position 0 (the word form itself).
TARGET:
Obligatory part of a rule, contains (in parentheses) that tag (e.g. N) or tag sequence (e.g.
N F P) or (without parentheses) that set which the rule is designed to select or remove.
- 153 -