Annotation guidelines
corpora annotated for multiword expressions

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Categories of verbal MWEs

In edition 1.1 of this task we distinguish the following categories of verbal MWEs:

• Two universal categories, i. e. valid for all languages participating in the task:
• Light verb constructions (LVCs) with two subcategories:
  • LVCs in which the verb is semantically totally bleached (LVC.full)
  حكم أصدر pronounce judgmenthe pronouncd a judgment
  държа под контрол to keep under control
  eine Rede halten a speech holdto give a speech
  παίρνω μία απόφασηperno mia apofasi take-1SG a decision to decide
  δίνω μια εξήγησηdino mia exigisi give.1SG an explanation to explain
  ασκώ κριτικήasko kritiki to criticise
  to give a lecture
  hacer una promesa to_make a promise to make a promise
  min hartu pain take to hurt oneself
  lo egin sleep do to sleep
  avoir du courage to have courage
  bain triail as extract trial from try
  διάνοιαν ἔχεινdianoian ekhein thought.ACC have.INF to have a thought
  τιμωρίαν ποιέομαιtimо̄rian poieomai punishment.ACC do.1SG I punish
  λόγοις χράομαιlogois khraomai words.DAT use.1SG I speak
  ἐν νῷ ἔχωen nо̄ ekhо̄ en mind.DAT have.1SG I have in mind
  ἐν ὀργῃ ἔχωen orgē ekhо̄ in anger.DAT have.1SG I am angry
  držati govor hold a speech to give a speech
  fare un discorsoto_make a speechto give a speech
  fare una promessa to_make a promise to make a promise
  ħa deċizjoni took a decision
  een toespraak houden a speech holdto give a speech
  podjąć decyzję to take a decision
  fazer uma promessa to make a promise
  a lua o decizie to take a decisionto make a decision
  imeti predavanje to have a lecture to give a lecture, biti mnenja to be of opinion to have an opinion
  jap mësim give lesson give a lecture
  bëj një premtim do a promise make a promise
  донети одлуку doneti odluku to bring a decision to take a decision
  hålla ett tal hold a speechto give a speech
  做 讲座 do speech to give a speech
  • LVCs in which the verb adds a causative meaning to the noun (LVC.cause)
  قيمه أعطى give a value to give a value for somth or someone
  давам възможност give an opportunity
  δίνω προτεραιότητα
  to grant rights
  to give a headache
  to provoke the destruction of the building
  dar dolor de cabeza to_give pain of head to give a headache
  hacer ilusión to_make excitement to make excited/to look forward to
  cuir lúcháir ar put joy on give delight to
  τιμωρίαν ἀποδίδωμιtimо̄rian apodidо̄mi punishment.ACC give.1SG I inflict punishment
  ὀργὰς παρασκευάζομαιorgas paraskeuazomai anger.ACC.PL cause.1SG I make angry
  δίκην ἐπιτίθημιdikēn epitithēmi justice.ACC impose.1SG I fine (sb)
  τιμωρίαν ποιέωtimо̄rian poieо̄ punishment.ACC do.1SG I inflict punishment
  zadati glavobolju komu to give a headache to someone, izazvati nezadovoljstvo to cause dissatisfaction
  dare il mal di testa to_give pain of head to give a headache
  dare noia to_give trouble to annoy
  rechten verlenen rights grantto grant rights
  nakłada obowiązek na użytkowników put a duty on the users
  dać prawo to give the rightto grant the right
  narazić na straty expose to losses
  stawiać komuś celto put an aim to someone to set a goal to someone
  da cuiva bătăi de cap give sb. a hard time
  dati ime nekomu to give (somebody) a name to name (somebody), narediti konec nečemu to make an end (to something) to end (something)
  jap të drejtë give the right grant rights
  држати реч držati reč to hold a word to keep a promise
  задати главобољу некоме zadati glavobolju nekome to give a headache to someone to make problems to someone
  授予 权力 give power to grant power
• verbal idioms (VIDs):
  إجتماععقدtie a meeting to lead a meeting
  правя се на дръж ми шапката to behave myself as 'hold my hat' pretend to be naive and innocent
  цъфна и вържа to blossom and give fruit (usually sarcastically) to prosper
  река и отсека to say and cut to say firmly, decisively
  schwarz fahren to drive black take a ride without a ticket, in Kraft treten into force step to come into effect, in die Waagschale werfen in the weighing pan throw to bring to bear
  einen drauf setzen going one better
  κόβω φλέβεςkovo fleves cut vains to be at a complete state of boredom
  απορώ και εξίσταμαι wonder1SG.PST and be-amazed1SG.PST to wonder
  παίρνω των ομματιών μουperno ton omation mu take the eyes mine to leave (in dispair)
  χάνω τα αυγά και τα καλάθιαchano ta avga ke ta paschalia loose-1SG the eggs and the baskets to be at a complete and utter loss
  κόβει το μάτι μουkovi to mati mu cut.3SG the.SG.NOM eye.SG.NOM my to be sharp-eyed
  παίρνουν τα μυαλά μου αέραpernun ta miala mu aera take.3PL the.PL.NOM brain.PL.NOM air.SG.ACC to become arrogant
  δεν δίνω του αγγέλου μου νερόden dino tu agelu mu nero not give my angel water to be stingy
  to go bananas
  fortune favors the bold
  to drink and drive
  to voice act
  to pretty-print
  to short-circuit
  to tumble dry
  hacer de tripas corazón make of intestines heart to pluck up the courage
  dejar con la miel en los labios to_leave with the honey in the lips leave (sb) wanting more
  dar gato por liebre to_give cat for hare to rip off, to take for a ride
  adarra jo horn play to pull (somebody's) leg, to be kidding
  burua hautsi head break to rack one's brains, to think very hard
  ikusi eta ikasi see and learn
  hortxe dago koska just-there is the-crux that's the crux of the matter
  défendre son bifteck defend one's beefsteak to defend one's interests
  court-circuiter to short-circuit
  ag cur is ag cúiteamh arguing and debating arguing back and forth
  περὶ πολλοῦ ποιέομαιperi pollou poeomai above much.GEN do.1SG I hold in high esteem
  οἷον τ'ἦνhoion t’ēn of.what.sort.NOM and was.3SG it was possible
  δίκην δίδωμιdikēn didо̄mi justice.ACC give.1SG I get punished
  mlatiti praznu slamu to beat empty straw to talk aimlessly, mazati komu oči to blur eyes to someone to cheat someone
  gettare le perle ai porci to_throw the pearls to the pigs to waste something good on someone who doesn't care about it
  andare e venire to_come and goback and forth
  corto-circuitare
  to short-circuit
  għasfur żgħir qalli a bird small told me to hear something from the grapevine
  iqum u joqgħod jump and stay to fidget
  het ijs breken ice break to break the ice
  rzucać grochem o ścianę throw peas agains a wall to try to convince somebody in vain
  pluć i łapać to spit and catch to be lazy, to do nothing useful
  fazer das tripas coração transform the tripes into heart to try everything possible
  pintar e bordar paint and knit to abuse
  a trage pe sfoară to pull on rope to fool
  a tunat și i-a adunatit.has thundered and CL.ACC-it.has gatheredbirds of a feather flock together
  ubiti dve muhi na en mah to kill two flies with one strike to achieve two aims at once, spati kot ubit to sleep like dead to sleep soundly
  i bie murit me kokë hit the wall with head to try the impossible
  i vë flakën to it put flame to cause trouble
  храбре срећа прати hrabre sreća prati fortune follows the bold fortune favors the bold
  китити се туђим перјем kititi se tuđim perjem decorate oneself with someone else's feathers steal someone's thunder / take credit for someone else's accomplishments
  吃 闭门羹 eat closed-door-soup to be locked out
  哑巴 吃 黄连 dumb-person eat bitter-medicine a dumb person eats bitter medicine, and he cannot speak out the bitterness
• Three quasi-universal categories, valid for some language groups or languages but non-existent or very exceptional in others:
  • inherently reflexive verbs (IRV):
    усмихвам се to smile
    sich bemühen to endeavour, sich enthalten himself contain to abstain
    - NA in Modern Greek
    to find oneself in a difficult situation
    to to help oneself to the cookies
    suicidarse to suicide
    quejarse to complain
    n.a.
    se suicider to suicide
    se soucier to worry
    n.a.
    –– This category does not apply to Ancient Greek.
    smijati se to laugh
    suicidarsi to suicide
    lamentarsi to moan
    zich bemoeien to get involved, zich vergissen to be mistaken
    bać się to fear SELFto be afraid
    se queixar to complain
    a se gândi to think
    bati se to be afraid, smejati se to laugh, drzniti si to dare to do something
    gëzohem rejoice myself to be happy
    pendohem repent myself to regret
    kujdesem to care myself to take care
    бојати се bojati se to be afraid
    коцкати се kockati se to gamble
  • verb-particle constructions (VPC) with two subcategories:
    • fully non-compositional VPCs (VPC.full), in which the particle totally changes the meaning of the verb
    not applicable to Bulgarian
    er gibt auf he gives up, er wirft ihr das vor he throws her that against he reproches that to her
    μπαίνω μέσα get in get in to go bankrupt
    βάζω μπροςvazo bros put forward to start
    to do in
    n.a.
    n.a.
    cas chuig turn towards happen to have
    –– This category does not apply to Ancient Greek.
    postaviti za to set for to appoint
    buttare giù to_throw down to swallow
    hij geeft op he gives up
    not applicable to Polish
    jogar fora This seems to be the only VPC in Portuguese. We annotate it as ID and do not use the VPC category.
    n.a.
    n.a.
    hedh poshtë
    n.a.
    • semi non-compositional VPCs (VPC.semi), in which the particle adds a partly predictable but non-spatial meaning to the verb
    not applicable to Bulgarian
    κάνω πίσωkano piso do back to back off
    to eat up
    n.a.
    tabhair suas give up
    –– This category does not apply to Ancient Greek.
    andare avanti to_go forward to move on
    opeten to eat up
    opdrinken to drink up
    n.a.
    n.a.
    eci para
    n.a.
    把握 住 机会 grasp hold opportunity to grasp the opportunity successfully → a Chinese Resultative Verbal Construction (RVC)
  • multi-verb constructions (MVC):
    will sagen want to say that is to say
    έχω να κάνωecho na kano have to do to cope
    έδωσα πήραedosa pira give.1PST take.1PST I struggled
    to let go
    to make do
    querer decir to_want to_say to mean
    ?
    laisser tomber let fall to give up
    vouloir dire want say to mean
    ?
    φθάνουσι ἐρχόμενοιphthanousi erkhomenoi overtake.3PL go.PTC they go first
    τυγχάνουσι ἐρχόμενοιtugkhanousi erkhomenoi get.3PL go.PTC they happen to go
    može biti can be it is possible
    lasciar andare to_let go to unhand
    voler dire to_want say to mean
    wil zeggen want to say that is to say
    laten vallen let fall to give up
    leren kennen to learn know to become acquainted
    dać komuś żyćto let someone livenot to bother someone
    można wytrzymaćone can standthe situatiion is reasonably good
    querer dizer want say to mean
    ouvir falar hear speak to know/remember vaguely
    n.a.
    n.a.
    do të thotë
    дај шта даш daj šta daš give what you give to be satisfied with small (from someone)
    ићи куда некога ноге носе ići kuda nekoga noge nose to go where one's feet carry somone to go without an aim
    排列 成 arrange become to arrange to be
    试试 看 try see to try and see
• language-specific categories, defined for a particular language in a separate documentation.

We also introduce an optional experimental category which (if admitted by the given language) is to be considered in the post-annotation step:

• inherently adpositional verbs (IAVs)
فيرغبwant to he has a desire to do something
излизам пред някого/нещо come in front of someone/something to surpass, to outdo
излизам със становище come out with a statement
n.a.
to come across
to rely on
confiar en to_trust in to trust in entender de to_understand of to know about
n.a.
caith anuas ar throw down on belittle
–– This category does not apply to Ancient Greek.
suočiti s to face with
confidare su to_trust in to trust in intendersi di to_understand of to know about
behoren totto belong to
godzić się na każde warunki to agree on any condition
mieć do czynienia z czymś to have to do with sth
odwieść kogoś od czegoś to dissuade someone from doing sth
conta pe count on
dati skozi give through to go through, gre za it goes about it is about
mbështetem në
n.a.

In practice, to identify and categorize verbal MWEs during manual annotation, one must use the rigorous generic decision tree and the structural and category-specific cross-lingual tests provided.

For a summary of changes with respect to edition 1.0 of the guidelines, see the what's new file.

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