Roleset whittle.01 Verbnet Class: 1 "create by remove wood":

Roles:

Arg0:builder


Arg1:construction


Arg2:material, start state


Arg4:end state

Examples:

person: ns tense: past aspect: ns voice: active form: full


extremely obscure literary reference (-)
John whittle the small bone into the shape of a different small bone.
Arg0:	John
REL:	whittled
Arg2:	the small bone
Arg3-into:	the shape of a different small bone

Roleset whittle.02 Verbnet Class: NONE "make smaller gradually":

Roles:

Arg0:agent of making smaller


Arg1:thing getting smaller


Arg2:EXT


Arg3:start point


Arg4:end point

Examples:

person: third tense: present aspect: perfect voice: passive form: participle


one example is enough (-)
The spokesman said the vote at Sochaux is expected to be followed by a similar move at the company's assembly plant at Mulhouse, where the number of strikers has been whittled [*-2] down to 80 [*T*-4].
REL:	[ whittled] [ down]
Arg1:	[*-2] -> the number of strikers
Arg4-to:	80
ArgM-LOC:	[*T*-4] -> where -> Mulhouse