Afrikaans and English
Revision as of 15:10, 20 July 2007 by Francis Tyers (talk | contribs) (→Verbs with attached prepositions)
Contents
|
This file contains some observations and a general "TODO" list / discussion.
# Afrikaans : lit. English @ English * Solutions?
Tagger
A tagger needs to be generated. Currently both en-af.prob and af-en.prob are copies of the de-en.prob
Transfer
Afrikaans to English
SOV to SVO transfer
Example 1
# nie een van hulle die taal kan praat nie. : not one of them the language can speak not. NP NP V @ [not one of them] [can speak not] [the language] NP V NP
Example 2
# Vir elke Engelse woord moet jy een Afrikaanse woord kies en dis nie altyd so duidelik wat om te kies nie.
: For each English word [must] [you] [one Afrikaans word ] [choose] and it's not always so clear what to choose not.
NP NP V
VAUX SUB OBJ V
VAUX PRN DET ADJ N VBLEX
@ For each English word [you] [must] [choose] [one Afrikaans word] and it is not always so clear which to choose.
SUB VAUX V OBJ
PRN VAUX VBLEX DET ADJ N
- <vaux><prn><det><adj><n><vblex> --> <prn><vaux><vblex><det><adj><n>
Example 3
# Sterrekundiges kondig die ontdekking aan van Gliese 581 c, 'n Aarde-agtige planeet buite ons sonnestelsel wat lewe mag onderhou : Astronomers announce the discovery of Gliese 581 c, an Earth-like planet outside our solar system that life may sustain Astronomers announce the discovery of Gliese 581 c, an Earth-like planet outside our solar system [that life may sustain] @ Astronomers announce the discovery of Gliese 581 c, an Earth-like planet outside our solar system [that may sustain life]
- <dem><n><vaux><vblex> -> <dem><vaux><vblex><n>
Example 4
# Ek dink hulle sal hulp waardeer van mense wat Afrikaans ken : I think they will help appreciate of people who Afrikaans know <prpers> <vblex> <prpers> <vaux> <n> <vblex> <pr> <n> <rel> <n> <vblex> NP VBLEX NP VAUX NP VBLEX PR NP REL NP VBLEX I think they [will help appreciate] of people [who Afrikaans know] I think they [will appreciate help] of people who Afrikaans know I think they will appreciate help of people [who know Afrikaans] @ I think they will appreciate help of people who know Afrikaans.
- <rel> <n> <vblex> -> <rel> <vblex> <n>
- <vaux> <n> <vblex> -> <vaux> <vblex> <n>
Double negatives
# nie een van hulle die taal kan praat nie. : not one of them the language can speak not. @ [not one of them] [can speak] [the language]
One solution:
- <vaux><vblex>nie --> <vaux><vblex>
Or... basically drop the extra negative at the end of all sentences (well, at the full stop).
- nie<sent> --> <sent>
Example 1
# Ek is nie so bekend met presies hoe die opstelling werk nie : I am not so familiar with exactly how the setup works not @ I am not so familiar with exactly how the setup works
Constructions with 'do'
# Nee, ek het ook nie 'n idee wat dit beteken nie No, I [have also not] an idea what it means not No, I [also have not] an idea what it means No, I [also do not have] an idea what it means No, I [also don't have] an idea what it means @ No, I don't have an idea what it means either
Tenses
The ge<verb> construction
- Fixed — If broken, report a bug!
The past tense is formed regularly by adding the prefix ge- to the verb's infinitive/present form.
- Ek breek - I break
- Ek het gebreek - I broke, I have broken, I had broken
het gebreek ^het<vaux><pres>$ ^ge<past><prefix>+breek<vblex><inf>$ = breek<vblex><past> = break<vblex><past>
Detachable prefixes
* Ek tree op
optree
Multi-prepositions
- om met
- om uit
- oor te
- om in
- toe om
- nou dat -> now that
- uiteindelik -> at last
- ... list more here ...
Verbs with attached prepositions
e.g. terugkry, oopmaak, weghardloop, teruggebring, aankondig, afkondig, verkondig, opgedaag, aangerand, aangesê, teëgekom, weggekom, uitgeklim
For example:
teruggekry terug+ge+kry back+PAST+get = got back
List of prepositions: terug, oop, op, weg, aan, af, ver, teë, uit, ...
More examples: that don't work!!!
aangery aan+ge+ry lit. on+PAST+ride = rode on = drove
grootgeword groot+ge+word lit. big+PAST+become = became big = grew up
Generating correct tense forms
- Ek gaan ... verbind -> I will connect
- Ek het gaan verbind -> I have gone to connect
The problem is that we have to wait until interchunk to find out if the verb is next to 'gaan' or not.
English to Afrikaans
Adjective inflection
- Fixed — If broken, report a bug!
Attributive = before noun Predicative = after noun
Adjectives in Afrikaans sometimes change depending on their position. Adjectives in the attributive position often morph. e.g.[1]
Die blompot is goud. > Die goue blompot. The vase is gold. > The golden vase. goud -> goue This man is most famous , this is the most famous man Hierdie man is die meeste beroemd, hierdie is die mees beroemde man
Rule that says:
- <adj><noun> -> <adj><attr><noun>
- <noun><adj> -> <noun><adj><pred>
English to Afrikaans
Adjective inflection
- Fixed — If broken, report a bug!
Attributive = before noun Predicative = after noun
Adjectives in Afrikaans sometimes change depending on their position. Adjectives in the attributive position often morph. e.g.[2]
Die blompot is goud. > Die goue blompot. The vase is gold. > The golden vase. goud -> goue This man is most famous , this is the most famous man Hierdie man is die meeste beroemd, hierdie is die mees beroemde man
Rule that says:
- <adj><noun> -> <adj><attr><noun>
- <noun><adj> -> <noun><adj><pred>
Determiners
His dog is red. Sy hond is rooi. This is his dog, the dog is his = Dit is sy hond, die hond is syne.
Verbs
That was a nice = Dit was lekker, Dit was lekker gewees It was a good poem = Dit was 'n goeie gedig, dit was 'n goeie gedig gewees It will be a good poem = dit sal 'n goeie gedig wees It would have been a good poem = Dit sou 'n goeie gedig gewees het. it would have been a good idea = dit sou 'n goeie idee wees, dit sou 'n goeie idee gewees het (both correct) it would have been a good poem = dit sou 'n goeie gedig gewees het (only this form is correct)
Separable verbs
afskei, oplaai, inkoop, aftel
Ek het dit op die kar gelaai. I have it into the car loaded. I loaded it onto the car
Present progressive
to be + verb gerund -> verb present + tans
Note, this is not perfect because many times English uses the present progressive (e.g. I am writing a letter) where Afrikaans would use the present indicative (e.g. I write a letter).
Competing products
Apertium output to compare in green
interpret.co.za
- Afrikaans-English, English-Afrikaans — word-for-word dictionary lookup (machine translation).
- Vir elke Engelse woord moet jy een Afrikaanse woord kies en dis nie altyd so duidelik wat om te kies nie.
- "for each english word must you one afrikaans word choose and it's not always so clear that/what to select not."
- "For each English word you must choose one Afrikaans word and it is not always so clear wat to choose ."
- Hierdie man is die meeste beroemd, hierdie is die mees beroemde man
- "this man is the most famous , this is the most renowned man ..."
- "This man are the most famous, #this are the #most famous man"
- Die polisie het hom geboei en agter in die bakkie gesit. By Mimosa is hy laat gaan. Hy het glo nie sy selfoon teruggekry nie. Nel het na bewering ook weggehardloop en in 'n boom geskuil.
- "the police have him handcuffed and behind in the bakkie sat down . at mimosa is he allow goes . he has believe not she/his selfoon teruggekry not . nel have allegedly also weggehardloop and in a tree geskuil. ..."
- "The police had him handcuffed and after put in the truck. At Mimosa are he allows go. He had believe not got #back #his mobile phone . Nel had allegedly also ran away and hid in a tree."
