Grammar rules for the isiZulu complex verb

TL;DR

This paper develops a formal context-free grammar for the complex morphology of isiZulu verbs, covering various extensions and features, to facilitate computational linguistic applications and deepen linguistic understanding.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive, computationally evaluable grammar for isiZulu complex verbs, including multiple extensions and features, advancing linguistic and NLP research.

Findings

Grammar covers subject/object concords, negation, tense, aspect, mood, extensions.

Grammar conforms to linguistic specifications and is computationally validated.

Facilitates development of NLP tools for isiZulu language.

Abstract

The isiZulu verb is known for its morphological complexity, which is a subject for on-going linguistics research, as well as for prospects of computational use, such as controlled natural language interfaces, machine translation, and spellcheckers. To this end, we seek to answer the question as to what the precise grammar rules for the isiZulu complex verb are (and, by extension, the Bantu verb morphology). To this end, we iteratively specify the grammar as a Context Free Grammar, and evaluate it computationally. The grammar presented in this paper covers the subject and object concords, negation, present tense, aspect, mood, and the causative, applicative, stative, and the reciprocal verbal extensions, politeness, the wh-question modifiers, and aspect doubling, ensuring their correct order as they appear in verbs. The grammar conforms to specification.