DeptPattern allows a linguist to define the number of dependencies he/she considers they are necessary to build the grammar. If a new dependency is required, he/she must open the configuration file and write a new line with the name of the dependency and its type. DepPattern defines 2 basic types of dependencies:
- A syntactic dependency between two words (a head and a dependent), for instance, the adjunct relation between a noun and an adjective. We call it open-choice dependency.
- A lexicon-syntactic relationship between two words, for instance, the relation between the english verb "switch" and the particle "off", which is a syntactic relation giving rise to a new lexical entry, namely the verb "switch off". This type of dependency is called idiom dependency of lexical dependency. They also produce syntactic relations between lexical units, but, in addition, a new lexical unit is generated by modifying the lemma of the head.
Each basic dependency type has two subtypes according to the relative position of the head and the dependent: the dependent can be either to the left (dependent-head) or to the right of the head (head-dependent). An unlimited number of words can be inserted between both the head and the dependent. So, considering information on word order, the grammar contains 4 different types of dependencies:
- DepHead An open-choice dependency where the dependent is to the left of the head. For instance "big monster". The adjective is a left adjunct of the noun.
- HeadDep An open-choice dependency where the dependent is to the right of the head. For instance "eat (red) meat". The noun is the direct object appearing to the right of the verb. In this example, there is an inserted adjective between the verb and the noun.
- DepHead_lex A lexical dependency where the dependent (or particle) is to the left of the head (or main word). For instance "se arrodilla". The particle "se" is to the left of the reflexive verb.
- HeadDep_lex A lexical dependency where the dependent (or particle) is to the right of the head (or main word). For instance "switch (the light) off". The particle "off" is to the right of the verb.
