NCHLT: isiNdebele POS tag set

Tag set

For purposes of annotators, this tag set is by and large taken over from Taljard et al (2008) and various documents compiled by G Faasz and U Heid from the IMS, Stuttgart and D J Prinsloo and E Taljard, University of Pretoria. The information below refers to the current state of the tagset, but further development will probably necessitate any number of changes.

The tagset is mainly based on the lexical and morphological criteria defined by Lombard (1985) and Louwrens (1991). As described above, the logical structure of the tagset is divided into two layers of linguistic description (annotation levels):

The first annotation level includes all mandatory, or, according to EAGLES, obligatory information, namely up to three elements: an element hinting at the word class, a second one specifying functional or syntactic properties, and a third one giving morphological specifics, cf. e.g. PRO(noun)EMP(hatic)PERS(on).

The second level of annotation includes recommended and optional information. This level is in most cases used for a detailed description of closed class items described in the tagger lexicon. Compare the following excerpt:

Figure 1: Annotation levels

Description	Tag 1st level (mandatory information)	Tag 2nd level (optional/ recommended information)
Pronouns:
emphatic personal	PROEMPPERS	1sg,2sg,1pl,2pl
Verbals:	V	tr
Morphemes:
deficient	MORPH	def

As for the actual tagging, an additional first level of tagging is envisaged. On this level, linguistic words will be tagged. For Northern Sotho, this implies that the four orthographic units ke + a + mo + rata will be tagged as V, since together they constitute a linguistic verb.

The tagset currently distinguishes 29 categories and different levels of annotation. The first part of the tag gives a general indication of the nature of the unit in question. These are as follows:

1. $ = Punctuation

2. ABBR = abbreviation

3. ADJ = adjective

4. ADV = adverb

5. ASP = aspectual marker

6. AUX = auxilliary verb

7. CCOP = class-indicating copulative subject concord

8. CDEM = class-indicating demonstrative

9. CDEMCOP = class-indicating demonstrative copulative

10. CN = class-indicating nominal prefix

11. CO = class-indicating object concord

12. CPOSS = class-indicating possessive concord

13. CS = class-indicating subject concord

14. ENUM = enumerative

15. IDEO = ideophone

16. INT = interjection

17. JUNC = conjunction

18. MNEG = negative morpheme

19. N = noun

20. NPP = place and brand name

21. NUM = numerative

22. PART = particle

23. PROEMP = emphatic pronoun

24. PROPOSS = possessive pronoun

25. PROQUANT = quantitative pronoun

26. QUE = question word

27. TENSE = tense marker

28. V = verbal

29. VCOP = copulative verb

As we envisage going deeper into morphological analysis, we also plan for the implementation of the following tags:

AS = adjectival stem

CA = class indicating adjectival prefix

NS = noun stem

NSuf = nominal suffix

VEnd = verbal ending

VExt = verbal extension

VR = verb root

1. PUNCTUATION

The tag $ is used for all punctuation marks. These include full stops, commas, colons, semi-colons, quotation marks, hyphens, exclamation marks, brackets, etc.

2. ABBREVIATION

All abbreviations are tagged as ABBR.

3. ADJECTIVE

The following tags are used:

Level 1: ADJ01-14, ADJLOC

Notes:

• The tag ADJ is used to tag linguistic units which consist of a noun class prefix and an adjective stem

Examples:

esikhulu ADJ07

la kukuhle ADJLOC

4. ADVERB

The following tags are used:

Level 1: ADV

Level 2: ADV_loc

Notes:

• Currently, no further specification in terms of the features time and manner is indicated, but adverbs of place / indicating locality are tagged on the second level as _loc.
• Nouns belonging to the locative classes are tagged as NLOC, although their function is that of adverb.
• Nouns to which a locative suffix has been affixed are tagged as nouns although their function is that of adverb. See 19 below.

Examples:

kwamambala ADV_nil

kwaZakhele ADV_loc

5. ASPECTUAL MARKER

The following tags are used:

Level 1: ASP

Level 2: ASP_pot, ASP_prog

Note:

• The deficient verbs forms, also called deficient auxiliary verb forms, -ya, -no, -dio, -yo and –zo are tagged as ASP.
• On the second level of annotation the progressive morpheme sa and the potential morpheme nga are tagged as ASP_prog and ASP_pot respectively.

Examples:

bayakhuluma	ASP_nil
basakhuluma	ASP_prog
bangakhuluma	ASP_pot

6. AUXILLIARY

The following tag is used:

Level 1: AUX

Notes:

• The tag AUX is used to tag what is generally termed auxilliary verb stems.

Examples:

sebafikile	AUX
besele bafikile	AUX

7. [CLASS-INDICATING] COPULATIVE SUBJECT CONCORD

The following tags are used:

Level 1: CCOP01-10, CCOP14-15, CCOPLOC, CCOPPERS

Level 2: CCOPPERS_1sg, CCOPPERS_1pl, CCOPPERS_2sg, CCOPPERS_2pl

Notes:

• Noun class information and information on the person number are included in the tag.

Examples:

Nami ngikhona	CCOPPERS_1sg
Uborotho bukhona	CCOP14_nil
sisedorobheni	CCOPPERS_1pl

8. [CLASS-INDICATING] DEMONSTRATIVES

The followings tags are used:

CDEM01-10, CDEM14-15, CDEMLOC

Notes:

• Currently, no distinction is made for the different ‘positions’ or ‘distances’ of the demonstratives. Only noun class information is included in the tag.
• The demonstratives of the locative classes are tagged as CDEMLOC
• The demonstratives of classes 1a and 2b are tagged as CDEM01 and CDEM02 respectively.

Examples:

abantu laba CDEM02

isililo leso CDEM07

khona lapha CDEMLOC

9. [CLASS-INDICATING] COPULATIVE DEMONSTRATIVES

The followings tags are used:

Level 1: CDEMCOP

Level 2: CDEMCOP_01-10, CDEMCOP_14-15, CDEMCOP_loc

Notes:

• Currently, no distinction is made for the different ‘positions’ or ‘distances’ of the copulative demonstratives. Only noun class information is included in the tag.
• The copulative demonstratives of the locative classes are tagged as CDEMCOP_loc
• The copulative demonstratives of classes 1a and 2b are tagged as CDEMCOP_01 and CDEMCOP_02 respectively.

Examples:

ngilaba CDEMCOP_01

ngilabo CDEMCOP_08

ngilabaya CDEMCOP_loc

10. [CLASS-INDICATING] NOMINAL PREFIX

11. [CLASS-INDICATING] OBJECT CONCORD

The following tags are used:

Level 1: CO01-10, CO14-15, COLOC, COPERS

Level 2: COPERS_1pl, COPERS_2pl, COPERS_2sg

Notes:

• Noun class information is included in the tag. Tags for first and second person distinguish between singular and plural.
• Object concords that are written conjunctively to the verb stem (e.g. object concord 1st person singular, object concord of class 1 mo- preceding a verb stem with initial consonant b-) are not at this stage tagged.
• The object concords of classes 1a and 2b are tagged as CO01 and CO02 respectively.
• Object concords of the locative classes are tagged as COLOC.

Examples:

basisizile	COPERS_1pl
siyakufuna	COPERS_2sg
ngiyathanda	CO06
bazosithenga	CO07

12. [CLASS-INDICATING] POSSESSIVE CONCORD

The following tags are used:

Level 1: CPOSS01-10, 14-15, CPOSSLOC

Notes:

• The possessive concords of classes 1a and 2b are tagged as CPOSS01 and CPOSS02 respectively.

Examples:

Abantwana bakhe	CPOSS02
Izambatho zakhe	CPOSS08
Ngaphasi kwetafula	CPOSSLOC

13. [CLASS-INDICATING] SUBJECT CONCORD

The following tags are used:

Level 1: CS01-10, CS14-15, CSLOC, CSINDEF, CSNEUT, CSPERS

Level 2: CSPERS_1sg, CSPERS_1pl, CSPERS_2sg, CSPERS_2pl

Notes:

• No distinction is currently made between the unmarked form of the subject concord, and the co-called ‘consecutive form’ thereof.
• The tag CSINDEF is used to tag the indefinite subject concord go / gwa
• The tag CSNEUT is used to tag the neutral subject concord e / ya, which is inter alia often found in identifying copulatives.
• Subject concords of the locative classes are tagged CSLOC.
• Subject concord of nouns in classes 1a and 2b are tagged as CN01 and CN02 respectively.

Examples:

sifikile	CS07
azikafiki	CS10
phasi kumakhaza	CSLOC
kuyatjhisa	CSINDEF
bekusebusika	CSNEUT
uyatshwenya	CSPERS_2sg
sithoma umsebenzi	CSPERS_1pl

14. ENUMERATIVE

The following tag is used:

Level 1: ENUM

Note:

• Linguistic units generally termed enumerative stems in grammars are tagged as ENUM

Examples:

Ilanga linye	ENUM
Umuzi muphi	ENUM

15. IDEOPHONE

The following tag is used:

Level 1: IDEO

Examples:

dutlu	IDEO
phara	IDEO

16. INTERJECTION

The following tag is used:

Level 1: INT

Level 2: INT_neg

Notes:

• The tag INT_neg is used to tag the negative interjection aowa.

Examples:

iye	INT_nil
awa	INT_neg

17. CONJUNCTION

The following tag is used:

Level 1: JUNC

Notes:

• Conjunctions that consist of multi-word units are not at this stage tagged as JUNC, the tokens making up the conjunctions are tagged separately. Thus e.g. le ge ‘although’ would not be tagged as JUNC, but as le [TAG] and ge [TAG].

Examples:

nanyana	JUNC
ngombana	JUNC

18. NEGATIVE MORPHEME

The following tag is used:

Level 1: MNEG

Notes:

• Negative morphemes akusi, are tagged as MNEG
• The negative form of the identifying copula a, i.e. akusi is tagged as a MNEG se VCOP_neg

Examples:

abakhulumi	MNEG
bangakhulumi	MNEG
Ukobana bangakhulumi	MNEG

19. NOUN

The following tags are used:

Level 1: N01-10, N01a, N02b, N14, NLOC

Level 2: _aug, _dim, _loc, _name

Notes:

• Although 17 noun classes plus two subclasses (1a and 2b) are distinguished for Northern Sotho, only 14 noun tags are used. All locative classes (16, 17, 18, N- and kwa-) are tagged as NLOC.
• Since nouns belonging to the so-called infinitive class 15 (ukukhuluma) consist of two orthographically distinct units, these are tagged separately; no tag for nouns belonging to class 15 (N15) is therefore used.
• Apart from containing information on noun class numbers, tags for nouns also include the features augmentative (_aug), diminutive (_dim), locative (_loc), name (_name) and even a combination of these, e.g. _dim_loc. These appear after the underscore ‘_’ in the tag. If none of these is present, the absence of such a feature is indicated by _nil.
• It is not necessary to include information regarding singular and plural in the tag, since this information is contained in the class number. Generally, nouns with an uneven class number (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) are singular nouns, whereas those belonging to the evenly numbered classes (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) are plural nouns.
• The distinction singular/plural is not relevant for the locative classes.
• Names of people are tagged as N01a / N02b_name

Examples:

UBavukile	N09_nil
UThokozani	N01a_name
UMsanyana	N09_dim
Embusweni	N09_loc
indlovukazi	N09_aug
emtjhaneni	N03_dim_loc
phasi	NLOC
AboNtuli	N02b_name

20. PLACE AND BRAND NAMES

The following tag is used:

Level 1: NPP

Level 2: NPP_name, NPP_brand

Notes:

• Place names are tagged as NPP_place, brand names as NPP_brand

Examples:

EPitori	NPP_place
icoke	NPP_brand

21. NUMERATIVE

The following tag is used:

NUM

Note:

• For all numbers and numerals (23,1998, iii, etc) the tag NUM is used.

22. PARTICLE

The following tags are used:

Level 1: PART

Level 2: PART_cop, PART_agen, PART_hort, PART_loc, PRT_que, PART_temp, PART_ins, PART_con

Notes:

• The category ‘particle’ is a contentious one and is not recognized by all grammarians. The term ‘prefix’ is often used to refer to members of this category.
• The category ‘particle’ is a closed category.
• The tag PART_cop is used for the copulative particle ngi ‘it/he/she is, they are’. The negative form of this copula, akasi is tagged as nga MNEG, se VCOP_neg.
• The agentive particle a found following after passive verbs is tagged as PART_agen.
• The hortative particle a is tagged as PART_hort.
• Five locative particles (PART_loc) are distinguished for isiNdebele, i.e. ka, lapha, ko, le and kwa.
• The question particles (PART_que) are alo, nini, ini, yi.
• The temporal particle (PART_temp) is used to indicate a point in time.
• The instrumental particle (PART_ins) is nga.
• The connective particle ni which is typically found following after the copulative verb stem –na is tagged PART_con

Examples:

busika	PART_cop
Ibonwe zizinja	PART_agen
asibale	PART_hort
le edorobheni	PART_loc
Alo bafikile?	PART_que
ngoMgqibelo	PART_temp
ngomukhwa	PART_ins
kunengozi	PART_con

23. EMPHATIC PRONOUN

The following tags are used:

Level 1: PROEMP01-10, PROEMP14-15, PROEMPLOC, PROEMPPERS

Level 2: PROEMPPERS_1sg, PROEMPPERS_1pl, PROEMPPERS_2sg, PROEMPPERS_2pl

Notes:

• Emphatic pronouns are also called absolute pronouns in some grammars.
• Even when these pronouns appear in collocation with their corresponding nouns, they are tagged as PROEMP, even though in such cases they have strictly speaking, no pronominal function.

Examples:

yena	PROEMP01
thina	PROEMPPERS_1pl
khona	PROEMPLOC
Iincwadi zona	PROEMP10
ngayo	PROEMP09

24. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

The following tags are used:

Level 1: PROPOSS01-10, PROPOSS14-15, PROPOSSLOC, PROPOSSPERS

Level 2: PROPOSSPERS_1sg, PROPOSSPERS_1pl, PROPOSSPERS_2sg, PROPOSSPERS_2pl

Notes:

• Even though the possessive pronouns of the noun classes of isiNdebele are morphologically identical to the emphatic pronouns, their status as possessive pronouns is signalled by the possessive concord preceding them.
• Although the status of forms such as ekhethu, ekhabo and ekhenu is uncertain, these forms are tagged as PROPOSSPERS_1pl, PROPOSS02 and PROPOSSPERS_2pl respectively, since they are almost always preceded by a possessive concord.

Examples:

Abantwana bakhe	PROPOSS01
Abantwana bekhethu	PROPOSSPERS_1pl
Abantwana bethu	PROPOSSPERS_1pl
Iinyawo zazo	PROPOSS10
Iinkolo zakhona	PROPOSSLOC

25. QUANTITATIVE PRONOUNS

The following tags are used:

PROQUANT01 – 10, PROQUANT14-15, PROQUANTLOC

Notes:

• Even when these pronouns appear in collocation with their corresponding nouns, they are tagged as PROQUANT, even though in such cases they have strictly speaking, no pronominal function.

Examples:

abantwana boke	PROQUANT02
koke kuphelile	PROQUANT10
thina soke	PROQUANT02

26. QUESTION WORDS

The following tags are used:

Level 1: QUE

Level 2: QUE_N01a, QUE_N02b, QUE_loc, QUE_time, QUE_man, QUE_01 – 10, 14 – 15

Notes:

• In some grammars, the items njani, nini and kuphi are described as adverbs, but here they are tagged as question words, asking about manner (_man), time (_time) and place (_loc) (locality) respectively.
• Since the question words ubani and abobani can generate agreement of classes 1a and 2b respectively, they are tagged as QUE_N01a and QUE_N02b respectively.
• Information on class numbers is included in the tag for all forms with –fe.
• Note that when –ngaki is used with the meaning of ‘how many / much’ it appears in an adjectival construction and is consequently tagged as ADJ. Only when it is used with the meaning of ‘where’ is it tagged as QUE_loc.
• Note that when –njani is used with the meaning of ‘what kind of’ it appears in an adjectival construction and is consequently tagged as ADJ. Only when it is used with the meaning of ‘how’ is it tagged as QUE_man.

Examples:

bafike nini?	QUE_time
bahlala kuphi?	QUE_loc
abantu baphi?	QUE_02
ufuna bani?	QUE_N01a
uthenge ini?	QUE_nil

27. TENSE MARKER

The following tags are used:

Level 1: TENSE

Level 2: TENSE_fut, TENSE_pres, TENSE_past

Notes:

• The future tense morphemes –zoku- yoku are tagged as TENSE_fut.
• When the morpheme -a …ka. appears together with the negative morpheme se it functions as a marker of the future tense, and in such cases is marked as TENSE_fut.
• The past tense morpheme –a only occurs in a specific negative form of the so-called past tense and is the only past tense morpheme in isiNdebele. It is tagged as TENSE_past.
• The so-called present tense morpheme –ya which appears in present tense verbs is marked as TENSE_pres.

Examples:

bazokukhuluma	TENSE_fut
Bayakhuluma	TENSE_pres
angikazokutjela	TENSE_fut
abakazokukhuluma	TENSE_neg

28. VERBAL

The following tag is used:

Level 1: V

Notes:

• The tag V is used to tag what is generally termed verb stems.
• Prefixes (reflexive prefix, object concord first person singular, object concord class 1 prefixed to verbs stems with initial consonant b-, stabilizing prefix e- with monosyllabic stems) and suffixes that are written conjunctitively to the verb root or stem are not at this stage tagged separately.
• The degree of transitivity of verbs is indicated as _tr (transitive), _itr (intransitive), _dtr (double transitive) on level 2.
• Categories such as tense, mood and aspect are not indicated, since these features cannot be assigned automatically by computational means.

Examples:

mila	V_tr
funda	V_tr
tshwenya	V_tr
yenzela	V_dtr
idla	V_tr

29. COPULATIVE VERB

The following tag is used:

Level 1: VCOP

Level 2: VCOP_neg

Notes:

• The tag VCOP is used to tag copulative verbs stems, e.g. –ba. For the copulative verb stem –be the tag VCOP_neg on level 2 is used, as is the case for the verb stem –ba(<-bi) when it is used in the negative form.

Examples:

Ukuba ngusiyazi	VCOP_nil
Aba makhaza	VCOP_nil
Ukungabi ngusiyazi	VCOP_neg
Akabi makhaza	VCOP_nil