Guide-to-Links: AJ

*** Guide-to-Links *** AJ

AJ connects adjectives to the word and to create a conjoined modifier phrase.

         +-------------Ds-------------+
         |             +-------A------+
         |     +---AJ--+---AJ--+      +---Ss--+
         |     |       |       |      |       |
        the black.a and.j-a white.a cat.n sleeps.v

In the above example, the AJ links join the adjectives black and white to the central coordinator and. The and acts as a head-word, connecting as if it were an adjective itself: joining with an A link to the modified noun on the right. Besides the word and, other verbs or even punctuation can act as a conjunction:

              +------Pa-----+---AJra---+
        +--Sp-+        +AJla+EBx+      |
        |     |        |    |   |      |
      they taste.v bitter.a , not.e sweet.a

The subtypes AJl, AJr, standing for "left" and "right", are used to maintain sequential ordering, which is important for comma-separated lists of adjectives; thus, for example:

       +-------------------Ds------------------+
       |          +----AJl-----+-------A-------+
       |     +AJl-+AJr-+       +--AJr---+      +
       |     |    |    |       |        |      |
      the black.a , white.a and.j-a orange.a cat.n

The AJ*a subtype is used to conjoin ordinary adjectives, the AJ*c to conjoin comparatives, and AJ*s, AJ*d to conjoin superlatives. Thus, for example:

                    +--------Pam-------+
                    |        +---AJlc--+---AJrc--+
                    |        |         |         |
      this brandy is.v smoother.a-c and.j-c fuller.a-c

Certain adverbs can take the AJ*c link, as long as they are also connected by EE- to a modifier that builds a comparative phrase, such as "more", "less", "as":

                  +---------MVb--------+---------Xc--------+ 
                  |         +---AJlc---+-----AJrc-----+    | 
                  |         |     +-Xd-+       +--EEy-+    |
                  |         |     |    |       |      |    |
      we will arrive.v sooner.a-c , yet.j-c as.e-y tired.e , as.e-c they

The AJ*s and AJ*d subtypes are used to conjoin superlatives; the former share one determiner, while the latter uses two:

             +------------------Ds-----------------+         
             +--------La-------+                   |
             |       +---AJls--+---AJrs--+         |
             |       |         |         |         |
      he is the biggest.a-s and.j-s baddest.a-s thug.n in town 

             +-------AJld------+-----------Ds----------+
             +---La--+         +-AJrd+---La--+         |
             |       |         |     |       |         |
      he is the biggest.a-s and.j-s the baddest.a-s thug.n in town

The AJ*e subtype is similar, but forces the DD link instead of L:

            +----------MVa----------+-----AJre-----+
            |     +---DD--+---AJle--+     +---DD---+
            |     |       |         |     |        |
      he ran.v-d the longest.a-s and.j-s the farthest.a-s