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Using particles in this way almost sounds like using flags to specify parameters when calling a function. This allows them to be placed in any order. A Powershe

Using particles in this way almost sounds like using flags to specify parameters when calling a function. This allows them to be placed in any order. A Powershell-like example: Construct-Sentence -subject Taro -object Noriko -verb to_see -time Past > "Taro saw Noriko." Construct-Sentence -object Noriko -time Past -verb to_see -subject Taro > "Taro saw Noriko." The original sentence is "Tarō wa Noriko wo mimashita." And "masu" appears to be the root verb "to see". Construct-Sentence -wa Taro -wo Noriko -verb masu -time Past > "Tarō wa Noriko wo mimashita." Something more Bash-like: csent wa:Taro wo:Noriko masu -past_affirmative # "Tarō wa Noriko wo mimashita." Meanwhile, subject-object-verb (SVO) and similar patterns depend on the order of inputs: Construct-Sentence Taro Norkio to_see Past > "Taro saw Noriko" Construct-Sentence Norkio Taro to_see Past > "Noriko saw Taro" This allows for invalid outputs: Construct-Sentence Taro to_see Norkio Past > "Taro Noriko'ed see"

mcaruso 10y ago
I've made the analogy of function calls before, it's a pretty cool way to think about it. But I think your example is slightly off. The verb is the head of the phrase, and would thus be the function (or command) itself: miru --topic=Taro --object=Noriko # Taro sees Noriko This uses "miru", the plain non-past form of "to see". Conjugating the verb is a little trickier to translate, but I think it would be analogous to higher-order functions, functions that modify the verb to create a new verb. Using a Python-like syntax: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object="Noriko") # Taro wa Noriko wo mimashita I'm trying to think of a way to include relative clauses in this analogy, but it's a little harder. A relative clause is of the form "[verb-phrase] [noun]", e.g. "doresu wo kiru Noriko" (Noriko who wears a dress). Maybe we could use positional arguments for this: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object=kiru(object="doresu", "Noriko")) # Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita ?? EDIT: or maybe currying would be a nice way to solve this. So each verb would be a function that takes arguments, and returns a new function that takes a noun to apply that verb to: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object=kiru(object="doresu")("Noriko")) # Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita
- stephengillie 10y ago
  Could this situation be described by nesting sentences? "Taro saw (Noriko wears a dress)." To extend your example: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object="Noriko") "Taro saw Noriko." formal(present(kiru))(topic="Noriko", object="doresu") "Noriko wears a dress." Nested: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object=(formal(present(kiru))(topic="Noriko", object="doresu")) ) "Taro saw (Noriko wears a dress)." "Taro saw Noriko wear a dress." "Taro wa (doresu wo kiru Noriko wa(?)) wo mimashita" "Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita" Does that make sense? *Please help correct any errors, as I have never formally studied the Japanese language.
  - mcaruso 10y ago
    It wouldn't type-check, since `object` is expected to be a noun and not a verb. :)
    - stephengillie 10y ago
      It's a difficulty inherent in describing one unfamiliar language with another unfamiliar language. :) This could work in Powershell. The function would have to be written to expect nested recursive calls, to remove the omitted particle. Construct-Sentence -verb miru -Formal -Past -Topic Taro -Object ( Construct-Sentence -verb kiru -Formal -Present -Topic Noriko -Object doresu ) "Taro saw (Noriko wears a dress)." "Taro saw Noriko wear a dress." "Taro wa (doresu wo kiru Noriko wa(?)) wo mimashita" "Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita"

mcaruso 10y ago

I've made the analogy of function calls before, it's a pretty cool way to think about it. But I think your example is slightly off. The verb is the head of the phrase, and would thus be the function (or command) itself: miru --topic=Taro --object=Noriko # Taro sees Noriko This uses "miru", the plain non-past form of "to see". Conjugating the verb is a little trickier to translate, but I think it would be analogous to higher-order functions, functions that modify the verb to create a new verb. Using a Python-like syntax: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object="Noriko") # Taro wa Noriko wo mimashita I'm trying to think of a way to include relative clauses in this analogy, but it's a little harder. A relative clause is of the form "[verb-phrase] [noun]", e.g. "doresu wo kiru Noriko" (Noriko who wears a dress). Maybe we could use positional arguments for this: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object=kiru(object="doresu", "Noriko")) # Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita ?? EDIT: or maybe currying would be a nice way to solve this. So each verb would be a function that takes arguments, and returns a new function that takes a noun to apply that verb to: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object=kiru(object="doresu")("Noriko")) # Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita

stephengillie 10y ago
Could this situation be described by nesting sentences? "Taro saw (Noriko wears a dress)." To extend your example: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object="Noriko") "Taro saw Noriko." formal(present(kiru))(topic="Noriko", object="doresu") "Noriko wears a dress." Nested: formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object=(formal(present(kiru))(topic="Noriko", object="doresu")) ) "Taro saw (Noriko wears a dress)." "Taro saw Noriko wear a dress." "Taro wa (doresu wo kiru Noriko wa(?)) wo mimashita" "Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita" Does that make sense? *Please help correct any errors, as I have never formally studied the Japanese language.
- mcaruso 10y ago
  It wouldn't type-check, since `object` is expected to be a noun and not a verb. :)
  - stephengillie 10y ago
    It's a difficulty inherent in describing one unfamiliar language with another unfamiliar language. :) This could work in Powershell. The function would have to be written to expect nested recursive calls, to remove the omitted particle. Construct-Sentence -verb miru -Formal -Past -Topic Taro -Object ( Construct-Sentence -verb kiru -Formal -Present -Topic Noriko -Object doresu ) "Taro saw (Noriko wears a dress)." "Taro saw Noriko wear a dress." "Taro wa (doresu wo kiru Noriko wa(?)) wo mimashita" "Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita"