neilthawani / hl4ai_hw2

Somali phonology

Homework 2

Use Foma to construct an analysis of these data in terms of context- dependent rewrite rules. You should submit the following items:

1. A README file with the following items:

(a) A list of the underlying representations you posit for each root

Root	Surface forms	Underlying representations
daar	daar,daarta,daaro,house	daar,daarta,daaro
gees	gees,geesta,geeso,side	gees, geesta, geeso
laf	laf,lafta,lafo,bone	laf, lafta, lafo
lug	lug,lugta,luɣo,leg	lug, lugta, lugo
naag	naag,naagta,naaɣo,woman	naag, naagta, naago
tib	tib,tibta,tiβo,pestle	tib, tibta, tibo
sab	sab,sabta,saβo,outcast	sab, sabta, sabo
bad	bad,bada,baðo,sea	bad, badta, bado
d͡ʒid	d͡ʒid,d͡ʒida,d͡ʒiðo,person	d͡ʒid, d͡ʒidta, d͡ʒido
feeɖ	feeɖ,feeɖa,feeʐo,rib	feeɖ, feeɖta, feeɖo
ʕiir	ʕiir,ʕiirta,ʕiiro,buttermilk	ʕiir, ʕiirta, ʕiiro
ʔul	ʔul,ʔuʃa,ʔulo,stick	ʔul, ʔulta, ʔulo
bil	bil,biʃa,bilo,month	bil, bilta, bilo
meel	meel,meeʃa,meelo,place	meel, meelta, meelo
kaliil	kaliil,kaliiʃa,kaliilo,summer	kaliil, kaliilta, kaliilo
najl	najl,najʃa,najlo,female lamb	najl, najlta, najlo
sum	sun,sunta,sumo,poison	sum, sumta, sumo
laam	laan,laanta,laamo,branch	laam, laamta, laamo
sim	sin,sinta,simo,hip	sim, simta, simo
dan	dan,danta,dano,affair	dan, danta, dano
daan	daan,daanta,daano,river bank	daan, daanta, daano
saan	saan,saanta,saano,hide	saan, saanta, saano
nirg	nirig,nirigta,nirgo,babj female camel	nirg, nirgta, nirgo
gabɖ	gaβaɖ,gaβaɖa,gabɖo,girl	gabɖ, gabɖta, gabɖo
hogl	hoɣol,hoɣoʃa,hoglo,downpour	hogl, hoglta, hoglo
bagl	baɣal,baɣaʃa,baglo,mule	bagl, baglta, baglo
wah̵ar	wah̵ar,wah̵arta,wah̵aro,female kid	wah̵ar, wah̵arta, wah̵aro
irbad	irbad,irbada,irbaðo,needle	irbad, irbadta, irbado
kefed	kefed,kefeda,kefeðo,pan	kefed, kefedta, kefedo
d͡ʒilin	d͡ʒilin,d͡ʒilinta,d͡ʒilino,female dwarf	d͡ʒilin, d͡ʒilinta, d͡ʒilino
bohol	bohol,bohoʃa,boholo,hole	bohol, boholta, boholo
jird	jirid,jirida,jirdo,trunk	jird, jirdta, jirdo
ʔaajad	ʔaajad,ʔaajada,ʔaajaðo,miracle	ʔaajad, ʔaajadta, ʔaajado
gaʕm	gaʕan,gaʕanta,gaʕmo,hand	gaʕm, gaʕmta, gaʕmo
ʔinan	ʔinan,ʔinanta,ʔinano,daughter	ʔinan, ʔinanta, ʔinano
sug	suɣaj,sugtaj,sugnaj,wait	sugaj, sugtaj, sugnaj
kab	kaβaj,kabtaj,kabnaj,fix	kabaj, kabtaj, kabnaj
sid	siðaj,sidaj,sidnaj,carry	sidaj, sidtaj, sidnaj
dil	dilaj,diʃaj,dillaj,kill	dilaj, diltaj, dilnaj
gan	ganaj,gantaj,gannaj,aim	ganaj, gantaj, gannaj
tum	tumaj,tuntaj,tunnaj,hammer	tumaj, tumtaj, tumnaj
arg	argaj,aragtaj,aragnaj,see	argaj, argtaj, argnaj
gud	gudbaj,guðubtaj,guðubnaj,cross a river	gudbaj, gudbtaj, gudbnaj
qosl	qoslaj,qosoʃaj,qosollaj,laugh	qoslaj, qosltaj, qoslnaj
hadl	hadlaj,haðaʃaj,haðallaj,talk	hadlaj, hadltaj, hadlnaj

(b) A list of the underlying representations for each suffix

sg	sg def	pl	3 sg masc	3 sg fem	1 pl past
0	ta	o	aj	taj	naj

(c) Any special notes necessary to understand your implementation

I started by noticing patterns in the data set - plosive/fricative alternations, nasal consonant transformations, lateral consonant assimilation, and vowel insertions or deletions. After some trial and error, I think I got the rule order correct.

Vowel insertion was counterintuitive in this data set, but eventually, I found some conditions for insertion AND deletion, and realized that consonant-vowel alternations were apparent in the surface forms of the nouns and verbs in this data set. When consonants appear adjacent to each other before a suffix that begins with a consonant, a vowel is inserted between the two initial consonants. This pattern proved to be the correct choice.

It made more sense for plosives to turn into fricatives between two vowels, and the remainder of the rules in the FST entailed smoothing nasals and assimilation of affixes.

2. A Foma script (somali.xsft) defining an FST that transduces between Somali underlying representations and surface representations (like those in the data tables)

See attached file.

3. Two lists of test-cases (1 test case per line):

(a) Underlying representations to be transduced into surface representations.

nirg

nirgta

nirgo

gabɖ

gabɖta

gabɖo

bad

badta

bado

sum

sumta

sumo

gudbaj

gudbtaj

gudbnaj

najl

najlta

najlo

gaʕm

gaʕmta

gaʕmo

(b) Surface representations to be transduced into underlying representations.

nirig

nirigta

nirgo

gaβaɖ

gaβaɖa

gabɖo

bad

bada

baðo

sun

sunta

sumo

gudbaj

guðubtaj

guðubnaj

najl

najʃa

najlo

gaʕan

gaʕanta

gaʕmo