Hi,
I am starting to use Flex to build up a lexical database for a language I have been working on for some time. My question is whether Flex can be used to code anything close to say, something around a dozen lexical- grammatical features and thingos for particular (verbal) lexemes, so that the verbs could be sorted according to any given one of them? In order to assist with linguistic analysis.
FWIW the thingos are morphological categories or forms that occur across subsets of the
verbal lexicon: realis-irrealis vs tense-aspect as
the main inflectional distinction, presence of verbal number distinction,
translocativity, C mutation in the root, C harmony between the root and a particular suffix, certain
syncretisms, suppletion for certain verbal categories, certain stem suffixes w/ loosey goosey semantics, and then some other
things like differential object marking, the form of a particular
clitic, and so on.
All very language specific stuff but thing is, in this language (where there is basically nothing resembling regularity but only a great many patterns), I have found enough unexpected formal and/or
cross-categorial relationships to realize
that I need to find some tool to go beyond my own analytic capacity, to see relationships I might not otherwise see. I've been using Excel but have given up on that for certain reasons. If Flex doesn't do it I'm going to have to go the route of color-coded index cards or something.
Having skimmed and read up on some relevant past discussions in this
group, I do understand that verb paradigms can be stored in the Texts part and that new variants can be specified for verbal categories & whatnot. But unless there's some functionality I am not seeing, maybe I need more flexibility than what Flex seems to allow? Or please tell me I'm quite wrong (which would be welcomed) and that I need to figure out something in Flex that I'm perhaps just not seeing yet.
Has anyone successfully used Flex for something similar to what I describe here?
Thanks,
Joseph
