Afrikaans and English

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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, ...

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>

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

Competing products

"for each english word must you one afrikaans word choose and it's not always so clear that/what to select not."
"this man is the most famous , this is the most renowned man ..."
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