// set binyan
if radioPa3al.Checked then binyan := 1;
if radioPa3ul.Checked then binyan := 2;
if radioNif3al.Checked then binyan := 3;
if radioPi3el.Checked then binyan := 4;
if radioHitpa3el.Checked then binyan := 6;
if radioHif3il.Checked then binyan := 7;
and create a HebrewWord from one of the classes provided by the library.
HebrewConjugation.dll is based on code that should be easy to adapt for other Semitic languages like Arabic and Akkadian, which I hope I will find the time to look at when Hebrew is done. It should also work on Mac OS X and Linux with native front ends or the Web with a Web application using the library. I will also add database support to save corrected verb forms.
The HebrewWord class deals with the binyan defined and adapts for exceptions:
constructor HebrewWord(setRoot: String; setBinyan: Int32);
begin
// configure word
root := setRoot;
binyan := setBinyan;
// create a general conjugation object to help with binyan
conjugation := new HebrewConjugation;
// specifiy complete binyan
if not (root.Length = 3) then binyan := 0;
if conjugation.IsHollow(root) then binyan := binyan + 10;
if conjugation.HasFinalHe(root) then binyan := binyan + 20;
if conjugation.StartsWithAlef(root) then binyan := binyan + 40;
if (conjugation.StartsWithWeakLetter(root) and not conjugation.WeakPeSurvives(root)) then binyan := binyan + 80;
end;
Other exceptions are caught (perhaps) by the Conjugation objects themselves. Conjugation objects are created based on the binyan number (including exception sums):
// create a general conjugation object
conjugation := new HebrewConjugation;
// create a Conjugation object for the right binyan
case binyan of
1: conjugation := new ConjugationPa3al;
2: conjugation := new ConjugationPa3ul;
3: conjugation := new ConjugationNif3al;
4: conjugation := new ConjugationPi3el;
6: conjugation := new ConjugationHitpa3el;
7: conjugation := new ConjugationHif3il;
11: conjugation := new ConjugationPa3alHollow;
12: conjugation := new ConjugationPa3ulHollow;
14: conjugation := new ConjugationPi3elHollow;
17: conjugation := new ConjugationHif3ilHollow;
There is/should be one Conjugation class defined for each binyan and for each exception in each binyan. Hence every Conjugation class only has to implement methods required for its particular type of root and daughter classes only have to implement what is missing in the class handling the binyan with no exceptions.
The HebrewConjugation base class also handles adding prefixed and suffixes as well as pronouns. Daughter classes refer to those methods to create finite verb forms.
For example, binyan Nif3al (G-Stem Reflexive) is implemented like this:
function ConjugationNif3al.GetInfinitive(root: String): String;
var
r: String;
begin
r := Lamed + He + root;
result := r;
end;
function ConjugationNif3al.GetPresentTense(root: String; person: Int32; male: Boolean): String;
var
r: String;
begin
// prepare root
root := Nun + root;
// get finite form
r := AddAffixesPresentTense(root, person, male, Taw);
r := AddPronoun(r, person, male);
result := r;
end;
function ConjugationNif3al.GetPerfectTense(root: String; person: Int32; male: Boolean): String;
var
r: String;
begin
// prepare root
root := Nun + root;
// get finite form
r := AddAffixesPerfectTense(root, person, male);
r := AddPronoun(r, person, male);
result := r;
end;
function ConjugationNif3al.GetImperfectTense(root: String; person: Int32; male: Boolean): String;
var
r: String;
begin
// prepare root
root := Yud + root;
// get finite form
r := AddAffixesImperfectTense(root, person, male);
r := ReplaceLetters(r, true, Alef + Yud, Alef);
r := AddPronoun(r, person, male);
result := r;
end;
