Within the PolyLex framework, there are two principal methods for representing allomorphy: (i) the use of path extensions on the left hand side of equations and (ii) the use of conditional statements on the right hand side of equations. These two methods can also be combined. In discussing the applicability of these two approaches, we make a distinction between the variant and inherent properties of a class of lexemes: nouns, for example, have gender as an inherent morphosyntactic property whilst case and number are variant morphosyntactic properties. The variance or inherence of a property is relative to the class of lexemes involved, thus adjectives, for example, have gender as a variant property, not an inherent one. Note that we are making the distinction with respect to classes of lexemes, not individual lexemes. There is a sense in which the noun lexeme trousers is inherently plural, but that sense is not to the point here.
