(r1) CirLexRule < Main

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---+Grammar Engineering Frequently Asked Questions

---++When I try to generate, the LKB says *"Probable circular lexical rule"*. How do I debug this?

This error arises when a lexical rule can apply to its own output.  With
spelling-change rules, this isn't a problem in the parsing direction, because
the number of times the rule can apply is constrained by the input form.
In the generation, direction, however, the form itself is unconstrained,
only the semantics.  A typical case would be a lexeme-to-lexeme rule that
only adds information (e.g. case information).  This problem doesn't
arise with lexeme-to-word rules because the DTR (input) and mother (output)
are already incompatible (different values for INFLECTED).  One solution
is to constrain the type of the daugher on the rule: to _lex-item_ if 
it's the first affix or to the type of the lexical rule that adds the
immediately preceeding affix.

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-- Main.EmilyBender - 18 Apr 2005
Topic revision: r1 - 2005-04-18 - EmilyBender
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