Afrikaans and English

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

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

1. 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

1. 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 may sustain life

Example 4

1. Ek dink hulle sal hulp waardeer van mense wat Afrikaans ken

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

 <prpers> <vblex> <prpers> <vaux> <n> <vblex> <pr> <n> <rel> <n> <vblex>

 NP VBLEX NP    VAUX NP                                       VBLEX                      

@ 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

1. 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]

// Solution 1

• <vaux><vblex>nie --> <vaux><vblex>

// Solution 2

Basically drop the extra negative at the end of all sentences (well, at the full stop).

• nie<sent> --> <sent>

Example 4

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'

1. 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

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

English to Afrikaans

Adjective inflection

http://web.sois.uwm.edu/AFR101/Document/index.asp?Parent=7324

Attributive = before noun Predicative = after noun

Adjectives in Afrikaans sometimes change depending on their position. Adjectives in the attributive position often morph. e.g.

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

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