GF: A Multilingual Grammar Formalism
Aarne Ranta · Language and Linguistics Compass · 2009
Abstract GF (Grammatical Framework) is a grammar formalism designed for dealing with many languages simultaneously. A multilingual GF grammar has a language‐independent abstract syntax that deals with pure tree structures, and a set of language‐dependent concrete syntaxes that specify how the trees are expressed in different languages. Multilingual grammars formalize the idea that the same grammatical categories (such as noun phrases and verb phrases) and syntax rules (such as predication) can appear in different languages. They are also a powerful tool for natural language engineering, used for applications ranging from a translator of mathematical exercises to a dialogue system usable for talking with devices in a car. As a programming language, GF has constructs inherited from functional programming languages, an optimizing grammar compiler and code generation into several other formats. The most ambitious multilingual grammar is the GF Resource Grammar Library, which implements the main grammar rules of 12 languages. This library enables non‐linguist programmers to build linguistically correct applications. It is at the same time a linguistic experiment showing how far one can go in sharing structure between languages.