diff --git a/mercurial/fileset.py b/mercurial/fileset.py
--- a/mercurial/fileset.py
+++ b/mercurial/fileset.py
@@ -10,21 +10,21 @@ import parser, error, util, merge
 from i18n import _
 
 elements = {
-    # token-type: binding-strength, prefix, infix, suffix
-    "(": (20, ("group", 1, ")"), ("func", 1, ")"), None),
-    "-": (5, ("negate", 19), ("minus", 5), None),
-    "not": (10, ("not", 10), None, None),
-    "!": (10, ("not", 10), None, None),
-    "and": (5, None, ("and", 5), None),
-    "&": (5, None, ("and", 5), None),
-    "or": (4, None, ("or", 4), None),
-    "|": (4, None, ("or", 4), None),
-    "+": (4, None, ("or", 4), None),
-    ",": (2, None, ("list", 2), None),
-    ")": (0, None, None, None),
-    "symbol": (0, ("symbol",), None, None),
-    "string": (0, ("string",), None, None),
-    "end": (0, None, None, None),
+    # token-type: binding-strength, primary, prefix, infix, suffix
+    "(": (20, None, ("group", 1, ")"), ("func", 1, ")"), None),
+    "-": (5, None, ("negate", 19), ("minus", 5), None),
+    "not": (10, None, ("not", 10), None, None),
+    "!": (10, None, ("not", 10), None, None),
+    "and": (5, None, None, ("and", 5), None),
+    "&": (5, None, None, ("and", 5), None),
+    "or": (4, None, None, ("or", 4), None),
+    "|": (4, None, None, ("or", 4), None),
+    "+": (4, None, None, ("or", 4), None),
+    ",": (2, None, None, ("list", 2), None),
+    ")": (0, None, None, None, None),
+    "symbol": (0, "symbol", None, None, None),
+    "string": (0, "string", None, None, None),
+    "end": (0, None, None, None, None),
 }
 
 keywords = set(['and', 'or', 'not'])
diff --git a/mercurial/parser.py b/mercurial/parser.py
--- a/mercurial/parser.py
+++ b/mercurial/parser.py
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 
 # takes a tokenizer and elements
 # tokenizer is an iterator that returns (type, value, pos) tuples
-# elements is a mapping of types to binding strength, prefix, infix and
-# suffix actions
+# elements is a mapping of types to binding strength, primary, prefix, infix
+# and suffix actions
 # an action is a tree node name, a tree label, and an optional match
 # __call__(program) parses program into a labeled tree
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class parser(object):
         return t
     def _hasnewterm(self):
         'True if next token may start new term'
-        return bool(self._elements[self.current[0]][1])
+        return any(self._elements[self.current[0]][1:3])
     def _match(self, m):
         'make sure the tokenizer matches an end condition'
         if self.current[0] != m:
@@ -50,17 +50,17 @@ class parser(object):
     def _parse(self, bind=0):
         token, value, pos = self._advance()
         # handle prefix rules on current token
-        prefix = self._elements[token][1]
-        if not prefix:
+        primary, prefix = self._elements[token][1:3]
+        if primary:
+            expr = (primary, value)
+        elif prefix:
+            expr = (prefix[0], self._parseoperand(*prefix[1:]))
+        else:
             raise error.ParseError(_("not a prefix: %s") % token, pos)
-        if len(prefix) == 1:
-            expr = (prefix[0], value)
-        else:
-            expr = (prefix[0], self._parseoperand(*prefix[1:]))
         # gather tokens until we meet a lower binding strength
         while bind < self._elements[self.current[0]][0]:
             token, value, pos = self._advance()
-            infix, suffix = self._elements[token][2:]
+            infix, suffix = self._elements[token][3:]
             # check for suffix - next token isn't a valid prefix
             if suffix and not self._hasnewterm():
                 expr = (suffix[0], expr)
diff --git a/mercurial/revset.py b/mercurial/revset.py
--- a/mercurial/revset.py
+++ b/mercurial/revset.py
@@ -115,31 +115,31 @@ def _revsbetween(repo, roots, heads):
     return baseset(sorted(reachable))
 
 elements = {
-    # token-type: binding-strength, prefix, infix, suffix
-    "(": (21, ("group", 1, ")"), ("func", 1, ")"), None),
-    "##": (20, None, ("_concat", 20), None),
-    "~": (18, None, ("ancestor", 18), None),
-    "^": (18, None, ("parent", 18), ("parentpost", 18)),
-    "-": (5, ("negate", 19), ("minus", 5), None),
-    "::": (17, ("dagrangepre", 17), ("dagrange", 17),
+    # token-type: binding-strength, primary, prefix, infix, suffix
+    "(": (21, None, ("group", 1, ")"), ("func", 1, ")"), None),
+    "##": (20, None, None, ("_concat", 20), None),
+    "~": (18, None, None, ("ancestor", 18), None),
+    "^": (18, None, None, ("parent", 18), ("parentpost", 18)),
+    "-": (5, None, ("negate", 19), ("minus", 5), None),
+    "::": (17, None, ("dagrangepre", 17), ("dagrange", 17),
            ("dagrangepost", 17)),
-    "..": (17, ("dagrangepre", 17), ("dagrange", 17),
+    "..": (17, None, ("dagrangepre", 17), ("dagrange", 17),
            ("dagrangepost", 17)),
-    ":": (15, ("rangepre", 15), ("range", 15), ("rangepost", 15)),
-    "not": (10, ("not", 10), None, None),
-    "!": (10, ("not", 10), None, None),
-    "and": (5, None, ("and", 5), None),
-    "&": (5, None, ("and", 5), None),
-    "%": (5, None, ("only", 5), ("onlypost", 5)),
-    "or": (4, None, ("or", 4), None),
-    "|": (4, None, ("or", 4), None),
-    "+": (4, None, ("or", 4), None),
-    "=": (3, None, ("keyvalue", 3), None),
-    ",": (2, None, ("list", 2), None),
-    ")": (0, None, None, None),
-    "symbol": (0, ("symbol",), None, None),
-    "string": (0, ("string",), None, None),
-    "end": (0, None, None, None),
+    ":": (15, None, ("rangepre", 15), ("range", 15), ("rangepost", 15)),
+    "not": (10, None, ("not", 10), None, None),
+    "!": (10, None, ("not", 10), None, None),
+    "and": (5, None, None, ("and", 5), None),
+    "&": (5, None, None, ("and", 5), None),
+    "%": (5, None, None, ("only", 5), ("onlypost", 5)),
+    "or": (4, None, None, ("or", 4), None),
+    "|": (4, None, None, ("or", 4), None),
+    "+": (4, None, None, ("or", 4), None),
+    "=": (3, None, None, ("keyvalue", 3), None),
+    ",": (2, None, None, ("list", 2), None),
+    ")": (0, None, None, None, None),
+    "symbol": (0, "symbol", None, None, None),
+    "string": (0, "string", None, None, None),
+    "end": (0, None, None, None, None),
 }
 
 keywords = set(['and', 'or', 'not'])
diff --git a/mercurial/templater.py b/mercurial/templater.py
--- a/mercurial/templater.py
+++ b/mercurial/templater.py
@@ -15,17 +15,17 @@ import minirst
 # template parsing
 
 elements = {
-    # token-type: binding-strength, prefix, infix, suffix
-    "(": (20, ("group", 1, ")"), ("func", 1, ")"), None),
-    ",": (2, None, ("list", 2), None),
-    "|": (5, None, ("|", 5), None),
-    "%": (6, None, ("%", 6), None),
-    ")": (0, None, None, None),
-    "integer": (0, ("integer",), None, None),
-    "symbol": (0, ("symbol",), None, None),
-    "string": (0, ("string",), None, None),
-    "template": (0, ("template",), None, None),
-    "end": (0, None, None, None),
+    # token-type: binding-strength, primary, prefix, infix, suffix
+    "(": (20, None, ("group", 1, ")"), ("func", 1, ")"), None),
+    ",": (2, None, None, ("list", 2), None),
+    "|": (5, None, None, ("|", 5), None),
+    "%": (6, None, None, ("%", 6), None),
+    ")": (0, None, None, None, None),
+    "integer": (0, "integer", None, None, None),
+    "symbol": (0, "symbol", None, None, None),
+    "string": (0, "string", None, None, None),
+    "template": (0, "template", None, None, None),
+    "end": (0, None, None, None, None),
 }
 
 def tokenize(program, start, end):