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B. Coordinate nominals
Predications may include coordinate nominals, introduced via the following format:
{ Term [Conj Term]* Conj Term }
This schema defines a set of at least two simple nominals, connected by conjunctions. These
conjunctions may be '&' or 'v' (and) and '^' (or). For example, the predication below would
correspond in English to the sentence Maria and the boy ran:
(9)
DECL Past: run Agent={ (Maria) & (sg: boy) }.
C. Coreferential nominals
Coreferential nominals are used to represent linguistic expressions that have an antecedent in the same
predication, including reflexive and anaphoric personal pronouns, as well as relativized term positions
(in many languages expressed as relative pronouns).
These nominals comply with the following format:
Operator:Index
where the operator is normally ANA (anaphoric) or REL (relative), and the index must be co-indexed
with the index of another term in the same predication. For example, in (10) below, the construct
(ANA:x1) is a well-formed term, co-indexed with the first argument of the main predicate, (man).
DECL Pres: want Agent = (d sg: x1=man) Patient = (Pres: drink Agent =
(10) (ANA:x1) Patient = (i: vodka))
(i.e. The man wants to drink vodka)
2.3.2 Embedded predications
Complete predications may be embedded in the position of a participant role (either argument or
adjunct). This is the way of representing complement clauses (ex. 10), relative clauses (ex. 8) and
adverbial clauses (ex. 11):
(11) DECL Past: eat Agent = (sg: x1=he) Cause=(Past: hungry Patient=
(ANA:x1))
(i.e. He ate because he was hungry)
2.4 Semantic and pragmatic functions
As we have seen, the participants are introduced in the predication by the semantic function that they
play with regard to the predicate. When relevant grammatical and pragmatic functions may be
included as well. For example, in the following predication, the first term is both marked as the
semantic function Agent and the grammatical function Subject:
(12) DECL Af Past: find Agent/Subject = (d sg: woman) Pat = (sg: ring)
In FGW, the semantic and the pragmatic functions that are considered relevant in the target language
are declared in the grammar file.