Documentation

Linglib.Phenomena.Comparison.Data

Comparison Constructions: Overview #

@cite{heim-2001} @cite{kennedy-2007} @cite{klein-1980} @cite{schwarzschild-2008} @cite{stassen-2013} @cite{wellwood-2015}

Empirical data on comparison constructions across languages. This directory collects phenomena specifically about constructions that compare — the syntactic and semantic mechanisms languages use to express comparative, equative, and superlative meanings.

Comparison constructions are distinct from gradability (the property of predicates that admit degree modification) and imprecision (tolerance-based approximate truth). A predicate can be gradable without appearing in any comparison construction, and comparison constructions apply across syntactic categories (nominal, verbal, adjectival — @cite{wellwood-2015}).

Organization #

Comparison/
├── Data.lean — this file: cross-construction overview
├── Typology.lean — WALS 121 cross-linguistic typology + Stassen 1985
├── Comparative/
│ ├── Data.lean — basic comparative judgments, phrasal vs. clausal
│ ├── Differential.lean — "3 inches taller", factor phrases
│ └── Subcomparative.lean — "longer than the desk is wide"
├── Equative/
│ └── Data.lean — "as tall as", at-least vs. exactly readings
├── Superlative/
│ └── Data.lean — absolute vs. relative, focus
├── DegreeQuestion/
│ └── Data.lean — "how tall", negative islands, modal obviation
├── CrossCategorial.lean — construction-level cross-categorial parallels
└── Studies/
    ├── Kennedy2007.lean — degree semantics bridge
    └── Kennedy2007Typology.lean — typology–fragment bridge

Typological types #

Cross-linguistic comparative construction types (ComparativeType, ComparativeType1985) and their parameters (CaseAssignment, FixedCaseEncoding, DegreeWordType, SuperlativeStrategy) are defined in Typology.lean and re-exported here.

source
inductive Phenomena.Comparison.ComparisonConstruction :
Type

The major comparison construction types found cross-linguistically.

Instances For
    source
    instance Phenomena.Comparison.instDecidableEqComparisonConstruction :
    DecidableEq ComparisonConstruction
    Equations
    source
    def Phenomena.Comparison.instBEqComparisonConstruction.beq :
    ComparisonConstruction → ComparisonConstruction → Bool
    Equations
    Instances For
      source
      instance Phenomena.Comparison.instBEqComparisonConstruction :
      BEq ComparisonConstruction
      Equations
      source
      def Phenomena.Comparison.instReprComparisonConstruction.repr :
      ComparisonConstruction → Nat → Std.Format
      Equations
      • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
      Instances For
        source
        instance Phenomena.Comparison.instReprComparisonConstruction :
        Repr ComparisonConstruction
        Equations
        source
        inductive Phenomena.Comparison.ComparisonDomain :
        Type

        What is being compared — the syntactic category of the gradable expression, following @cite{wellwood-2015}.

        The key insight: comparison constructions apply uniformly across categories; what varies is the measured domain (entity, event, state).

        Instances For
          source
          instance Phenomena.Comparison.instDecidableEqComparisonDomain :
          DecidableEq ComparisonDomain
          Equations
          source
          def Phenomena.Comparison.instBEqComparisonDomain.beq :
          ComparisonDomain → ComparisonDomain → Bool
          Equations
          Instances For
            source
            instance Phenomena.Comparison.instBEqComparisonDomain :
            BEq ComparisonDomain
            Equations
            source
            instance Phenomena.Comparison.instReprComparisonDomain :
            Repr ComparisonDomain
            Equations
            source
            def Phenomena.Comparison.instReprComparisonDomain.repr :
            ComparisonDomain → Nat → Std.Format
            Equations
            • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
            Instances For
              source
              inductive Phenomena.Comparison.DegreeMorphology :
              Type

              How degree comparison is morphologically realized in a given form.

              This is orthogonal to DegreeWordType (in Typology.lean), which classifies whether a language has degree marking at all. DegreeMorphology classifies a specific form: English "taller" is synthetic, "more tall" is analytic, "better" is suppletive — all in a language that DegreeWordType classifies as .hasDegreeWord.

              Instances For
                source
                instance Phenomena.Comparison.instDecidableEqDegreeMorphology :
                DecidableEq DegreeMorphology
                Equations
                source
                instance Phenomena.Comparison.instBEqDegreeMorphology :
                BEq DegreeMorphology
                Equations
                source
                def Phenomena.Comparison.instBEqDegreeMorphology.beq :
                DegreeMorphology → DegreeMorphology → Bool
                Equations
                Instances For
                  source
                  def Phenomena.Comparison.instReprDegreeMorphology.repr :
                  DegreeMorphology → Nat → Std.Format
                  Equations
                  • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                  Instances For
                    source
                    instance Phenomena.Comparison.instReprDegreeMorphology :
                    Repr DegreeMorphology
                    Equations