3.2.1. Typology of gram

The TEI Guidelines define:

• seven specific elements which can be used to mark up particular grammatical properties:<case>, <gen> (for gender), <iType> (for inflection type), <mood>, <number>, <per> (for person) and <tns> (for tense); and
• one general element (<gram>) which can be used to encode different kinds of grammatical properties.

The Guidelines themselves do not explain the reasoning behind having two different mechanisms for encoding the same kind of information. The two mechanisms are treated as fully interchangeable: see, for instance, the first two examples in Section 9.3.2.

While it is perfectly understandable why marking up grammatical information using a number of specific, granular elements can be considered desirable, the current situation is less than perfect:

• if both <pos>prep</pos> and <gram type="pos">prep</gram> are possible, and if both mean exactly the same thing, the choice about how to encode grammatical information will always be partially arbitrary;
• the specific grammatical elements in TEI cover some important grammatical categories, but are certainly not exhaustive: for instance, Slavic dictionaries will, as a rule, indicate aspect (imperfective or perfective) as the defining grammatical property of verbs, yet there is no specific element for: <aspect> in TEI.
• if there are no specific elements for every possible grammatical category, mixing specific and general elements (for instance <pos>v.</pos> and <gram type="aspect">imperf.</gram> within the same entry and/or dictionary will most likely further complicate data processing and data interoperability.

Considering the goals of TEI Lex-0 to serve as a common baseline and target format for transforming and comparing different lexical resources, we have decided to do away with the specific elements for grammatical properties. Instead, we recommend the use of typed <gram> elements. This is a decision that wasn't taken lightly and one which solicited a great deal of discussion. It goes without saying that TEI itself will continue to support both mechanisms and that an XSLT transformation from <pos>prep</pos> to <gram type="pos">prep</gram> for those who want to convert their dictionaries to TEI Lex-0 would be easily accomplished.

The following table shows a mapping between the specific TEI elements and the typed <gram> elements in TEI Lex-0:

Note: See also next section on Collocates.

TEI5 is missing a specific element for encoding the grammatical aspect of verbs (for values such as perfective, imperfective) and valency (for values such as transitive, intransitive, reflexive, and impersonal). TEI Lex-0 is therefore introducing two suggested grammatical types: gram[@type="aspect"] and gram[@type="valency"]for encoding such values in dictionaries.

The attribute values for gram[@type] are a semi-closed list: this means that we will discuss and adopt additional values as demonstrated by examples from dictionaries that are encoded by members of our community.

If your dictionary has grammatical labels that do not fit into the above categories, do let us know by filing a ticket on GitHub.

3.2.2. Collocates

3.3.1. hom

Making a clear difference between a situation where an entry has to be split into two or more homonyms and one where these differences correspond to a semantic alternation is lexicographically difficult. Still, the main danger in keeping both possibilities in the representation of a lexical entry in a digital lexicon is to introduce a systematic structural ambiguity as to where the appropriate information is to be found. We thus deprecate <hom> altogether in the present recommendation and have this element replaced by the nested <entry> construct.

For instance, the following example from the TEI Guidelines:

<entry>
 <form>
  <orth>bray</orth>
  <pron>breI</pron>
 </form>
 <hom>
  <gramGrp>
   <gram type="pos">n</gram>
  </gramGrp>
  <sense>
   <def>cry of an ass; sound of a trumpet.</def>
  </sense>
 </hom>
 <hom>
  <gramGrp>
   <gram type="pos">vt</gram>
   <subc>VP2A</subc>
  </gramGrp>
  <sense>
   <def>make a cry or sound of this kind.</def>
  </sense>
 </hom>
</entry>

would in TEI Lex-0 be represented as:

<entry type="mainEntry" xml:id="bray"
 xml:lang="en">
 <form type="lemma">
  <orth>bray</orth>
  <pron>brel</pron>
 </form>
 <entry xml:id="bray_n" xml:lang="en"
  type="homonymicEntry">
  <gramGrp>
   <gram type="pos">n</gram>
  </gramGrp>
  <sense xml:id="bray_n.1">
   <def>cry of an ass</def>
  </sense>
  <pc>;</pc>
  <sense xml:id="bray_n.2">
   <def>sound of a trumpet</def>
  </sense>
  <pc>.</pc>
 </entry>
 <entry xml:id="bray_vt" xml:lang="en"
  type="homonymicEntry">
  <gramGrp>
   <gram type="pos">vt</gram>
   <gram type="inflectionType">VP2A</gram>
  </gramGrp>
  <sense xml:id="bray_vt.1">
   <def>make a cry or sound of this kind</def>
  </sense>
  <pc>.</pc>
 </entry>
</entry>

In a similar fashion, consider this entry from the Dictionary of the Portuguese Language by Morais:

<entry xml:id="MORAIS.1.DLP.JANTAR"
 type="mainEntry" xml:lang="pt">
 <entry xml:id="MORAIS.1.DLP.JANTAR-vt"
  type="homonymicEntry" xml:lang="pt">
  <form type="lemma">
   <orth>JANTAR</orth>
  </form>
  <metamark function="lemmaDelimiter">,</metamark>
  <gramGrp>
   <gram type="pos" norm="VERB">v.</gram>
   <gram type="voice">at.</gram>
  </gramGrp>
  <sense xml:id="MORAIS.1.DLP.JANTAR.s.1">
   <def>comer ao meio dia , ou comer depois de almoçar.</def>
  </sense>
 </entry>
 <entry xml:id="MORAIS.1.DLP.JANTAR-n"
  type="homonymicEntry" xml:lang="pt">
  <form type="lemma">
   <orth>JANTAR</orth>
  </form>
  <metamark function="lemmaDelimiter">,</metamark>
  <gramGrp>
   <gram type="pos" norm="NOUN">ſ.</gram>
   <gram type="gen">m.</gram>
  </gramGrp>
  <sense xml:id="MORAIS.1.DLP.JANTAR.s.2">
   <def>a ſegunda das tres comidas regulares do dia, entre o almoço , e aceia , ou antes da merenda.</def>
  </sense>
  <pc>.</pc>
  <metamark function="senseDelimiter">§</metamark>
  <sense xml:id="MORAIS.1.DLP.JANTAR.s.3">
   <def>Porção de dinheiro , que as Villas , e Cidades davão aos Reis , quando hião de correição para ſuſtento de ſua comitiva</def>
  </sense>
  <pc>.</pc>
  <bibl type="attestation"
   source="#M._L._Monarchia_Luſitana">
   <title>M. Luſ.</title>
   <citedRange unit="volume">t. 5</citedRange>
   <citedRange unit="folium">f. 53</citedRange>
   <citedRange unit="chapter">cap. 27</citedRange>
  </bibl>
 </entry>
</entry>Silva (1789) 

3.3.2. superEntry

By making <entry> recursive, TEI Lex-0 has eliminated the need for grouping entries with <superEntry>.

This is especially important for traditional root-based dictionaries, which start with the root as the main headword, followed by full-fledged lexicographic entries of derived headwords.

<entry type="wordFamily" xml:lang="ar"
 xml:id="syj">
 <form type="root">
  <orth>سيج</orth>
 </form>
 <pc>:</pc>
 <!-- To fence (verb) -->
 <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
  xml:id="syj1">
  <form type="lemma">
   <orth>سيّج</orth>
  </form>
  <sense xml:id="syj1_sense1">
   <cit type="example">
    <quote>الكرم</quote>
   </cit>
   <pc>:</pc>
   <def>جعل له سياجا</def>
  </sense>
  <pc>٠</pc>
 </entry>
 <!-- A fence (noun) -->
 <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
  xml:id="syj2">
  <form type="lemma">
   <orth>السياج</orth>
  </form>
  <form type="inflected">
   <gramGrp>
    <gram type="number" value="plural">ج</gram>
   </gramGrp>
   <form type="variant">
    <orth>سيَاجات</orth>
   </form>
   <lbl>و</lbl>
   <form type="variant">
    <orth>أسْوِجة</orth>
   </form>
   <lbl>و</lbl>
   <form type="variant">
    <orth>أَسْوِجة</orth>
   </form>
   <lbl>و</lbl>
   <form type="variant">
    <orth>سُوج</orth>
   </form>
  </form>
  <pc>:</pc>
  <sense xml:id="syj2_sense1">
   <def>الحائط</def>
  </sense>
  <pc>||</pc>
  <sense xml:id="syj2_sense2">
   <def>ما أُحيط بهِ على شيءٍ كالكرم و النخل</def>
  </sense>
 </entry>
 <pc>٠</pc>
 <!-- A kind of fish -->
 <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
  xml:id="syj3">
  <form type="lemma">
   <orth>السيْجان</orth>
  </form>
  <pc>(</pc>
  <usg type="domain" value="animal">ح</usg>
  <pc>)</pc>
  <pc>:</pc>
  <sense xml:id="syj3_sense1">
   <def>نوع من السمك</def>
  </sense>
 </entry>
</entry>Almonjid (2014) 



<entry type="wordFamily" xml:lang="ar"
 xml:id="shahama">
 <form type="root">
  <orth>شهم</orth>
 </form>
 <pc>:</pc>
 <entry type="wordfamily" xml:lang="ar"
  xml:id="shahama1">
  <num>١ــ</num>
  <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
   xml:id="shahama1_1">
   <form type="lemma">
    <orth>شَهَمَ</orth>
   </form>
   <form type="scheme">
    <orth>ـَ</orth>
   </form>
   <form type="inflected">
    <form type="variant">
     <orth>شَهْمًا</orth>
    </form>
    <lbl>و</lbl>
    <form type="variant">
     <orth>شُهُمًا</orth>
    </form>
   </form>
   <sense xml:id="shahama1_1_sense1">
    <cit type="example">
     <quote>الفرسَ</quote>
    </cit>
    <pc>:</pc>
    <def>زجره</def>
   </sense>
   <pc>||</pc>
   <lbl>و</lbl>
   <sense xml:id="shahama1_1_sense2">
    <cit type="example">
     <quote>ــ الرجُل</quote>
    </cit>
    <pc>:</pc>
    <def>افزعه</def>
   </sense>
  </entry>
  <pc>٠</pc>
  <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
   xml:id="shahama1_2">
   <form type="lemma">
    <orth>اَلمشْهوم</orth>
   </form>
   <pc>٠:</pc>
   <sense xml:id="shahama1_2_sense1">
    <def>المذعور</def>
   </sense>
  </entry>
 </entry>
 <entry type="wordFamily" xml:lang="ar"
  xml:id="shahama2">
  <num>٢٠ ــ</num>
  <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
   xml:id="shahama2_1">
   <form type="lemma">
    <orth>شَهُم</orth>
   </form>
   <form type="scheme">
    <orth>ـُـ</orth>
   </form>
   <form type="inflected">
    <form type="variant">
     <orth>شَهَامةً</orth>
    </form>
    <lbl>و</lbl>
    <form type="variant">
     <orth>شُهُومَةُُ</orth>
    </form>
   </form>
   <lbl>:</lbl>
   <sense xml:id="shahama2_1_sense1">
    <def> كان شهْمًا</def>
   </sense>
  </entry>
  <pc>٠</pc>
  <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
   xml:id="shahama2_2">
   <form type="lemma">
    <orth>الشَهْم</orth>
   </form>
   <form type="inflected">
    <gramGrp>
     <gram type="number" value="plural">ج</gram>
    </gramGrp>
    <orth>شِهام</orth>
   </form>
   <pc>:</pc>
   <sense xml:id="shahama2_2_sense1">
    <def>الذكيّ الفؤاد</def>
   </sense>
   <pc>||</pc>
   <sense xml:id="shahama2_2_sense2">
    <def>السيِّد النافذ الحكم</def>
   </sense>
   <pc>||</pc>
   <sense xml:id="shahama2_2_sense3">
    <lbl>وــ</lbl>
    <form type="inflected">
     <gramGrp>
      <gram type="number" value="plural">ج</gram>
     </gramGrp>
     <orth>شُهُم</orth>
    </form>
    <pc>:</pc>
    <def>الفرس النشيط السريع القويّ</def>
   </sense>
  </entry>
  <pc>٠</pc>
  <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
   xml:id="shahama2_3">
   <form type="lemma">
    <orth>اَلمَشْهُوم</orth>
   </form>
   <pc>*:</pc>
   <sense xml:id="shahama2_3_sense1">
    <def>الذكيّ الفؤاد</def>
   </sense>
  </entry>
 </entry>
 <entry type="wordFamily" xml:lang="ar"
  xml:id="shahama3">
  <num>٠٣ ــ</num>
  <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
   xml:id="shahama3_1">
   <form type="lemma">
    <orth>الشَيْهَم</orth>
   </form>
   <form type="inflected">
    <gramGrp>
     <gram type="number" value="plural">ج</gram>
    </gramGrp>
    <orth>شَيَهِم</orth>
   </form>
   <pc>(</pc>
   <usg type="domain" value="animal">ح</usg>
   <pc>)</pc>
   <sense xml:id="shahama3_1_sense1">
    <def>ذَكَر القنافذ</def>
   </sense>
  </entry>
  <pc>٠</pc>
  <entry type="mainEntry" xml:lang="ar"
   xml:id="shahama3_2">
   <form type="lemma">
    <orth>الشَيْهَمَة</orth>
   </form>
   <pc>:</pc>
   <sense xml:id="shahama3_2_sense1">
    <def>العجوز</def>
   </sense>
  </entry>
 </entry>
</entry>Almonjid (2014) 

See also Section on grammatical properties in senses.