TipFieldWorks Language Explorer (FLEx) allows you to define a morpho-syntactic feature system for the language you are working on. The inflection feature system is in addition to phonological features. This system consists of Inflection Features and Feature Types, and is included in the Grammar Sketch. Inflection features are used to indicate things like gender and noun class in lexical entries. Computational parsers also use them in various ways.
Inflection features and feature types are added automatically when you use the Morphosyntactic Gloss Assistant. For example, we can model things like gender and noun class using features. Without features, we would need to create distinct subcategories, say, for example feminine, masculine, and so on, or for noun class 1, noun class 2, and so on.
If you did not use the Morphosyntactic Gloss Assistant, or need to change or add an additional inflection feature, use the Add Inflection Feature from Catalog dialog box. Avoid creating a new feature unless the feature you need is not in the catalog. When you use the catalog, the features are correctly added to the system.
If you need to manually add or edit features or feature types, FLEx allows you to do so. See Inflection Features overview and Feature Types overview.
TipA simple feature is a pairing of a name with a value, such as tense:present tense, aspect:perfective aspect, and so on.
A complex feature is a named collection of two or more simple features, such as “[subject agreement:[person:third person, gender:feminine gender]]” where the collection name is “subject agreement” and the collection consists of two feature:values pairs: “person:third person” and “gender:feminine gender.”
Feature types are used to limit the set of feature:value pairs that are appropriate for certain situations, such as when dealing with agreement features.
You can use Feature Sets with Stem Names to control stem allomorphy. Insert a Stem Name has more information.
ImportantIt is strongly recommended that you contact a FLEx consultant before you overtly add or edit features or feature types. If these are not handled correctly, parsers may not analyze many of your wordforms.
For additional information about features and feature types, point to Resources on the Help menu, and then click Introduction to Parsing.