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Linglib.Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026

Slot/Filler Verification #

@cite{dunn-2026} @cite{kay-fillmore-1999} @cite{goldberg-shirtz-2025}

Per-datum verification that derivedSpecificity (computed from the typed slot structure) matches the Specificity values stipulated in existing construction definitions.

Concrete TypedForm instantiations for six constructions verify:

  1. abstractionLevel computes the correct open-slot proportion
  2. derivedSpecificity agrees with stipulated Specificity
  3. ConstructionSlot.toSlot round-trips through embedding
  4. refGroupCount and hasConstraint detect WXDY's structural properties
  5. WXDY coinstantiation: X and Y share refIdx 2 (subject control)
source
def Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.ditransitiveForm :
ConstructionGrammar.TypedForm String

Ditransitive typed form: [Subj_NP V Obj1_NP Obj2_NP].

All four slots are open — the construction constrains categories and roles but not specific lexemes.

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    def Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.mustVerbForm :
    ConstructionGrammar.TypedForm String

    must-VERB typed form: [fixed("must") V N].

    "must" is a fixed lexeme; the verb and noun slots are open. "a must-see movie", "a must-read book".

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      def Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.letAloneForm :
      ConstructionGrammar.TypedForm String

      Let alone typed form: [A_NP fixed("let") fixed("alone") B_NP].

      Simplified from the full form F⟨X A Y let alone B⟩ to highlight the fixed/open distinction. "let" and "alone" are fixed; the focus positions are open.

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        def Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.veggieWrapForm :
        ConstructionGrammar.TypedForm String

        Veggie-wrap: a fully lexically specified compound (@cite{goldberg-2003}:220).

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          theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.ditransitive_abstraction :
          ConstructionGrammar.abstractionLevel ditransitiveForm = 1

          Ditransitive: 4/4 open slots → abstraction level 1.

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          theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.mustVerb_abstraction :
          ConstructionGrammar.abstractionLevel mustVerbForm = 2 / 3

          must-VERB: 2/3 open slots → abstraction level 2/3.

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          theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.letAlone_abstraction :
          ConstructionGrammar.abstractionLevel letAloneForm = 1 / 2

          Let alone: 2/4 open slots → abstraction level 1/2.

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          theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.veggieWrap_abstraction :
          ConstructionGrammar.abstractionLevel veggieWrapForm = 0

          Veggie-wrap: 0/2 open slots → abstraction level 0.

          These theorems verify that derivedSpecificity (computed from slot structure) matches the Specificity values stipulated in the existing construction definitions. This makes the connection true by verification rather than by construction.

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          theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.ditransitive_specificity_consistent :
          ConstructionGrammar.derivedSpecificity ditransitiveForm = ConstructionGrammar.ditransitive.construction.specificity

          Ditransitive: derived .fullyAbstract matches stipulated.

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          theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.letAlone_specificity_consistent :
          ConstructionGrammar.derivedSpecificity letAloneForm = ConstructionGrammar.Studies.FillmoreKayOConnor1988.letAloneConstruction.specificity

          Let alone: derived .partiallyOpen matches stipulated.

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          theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.mustVerb_specificity_consistent :
          ConstructionGrammar.derivedSpecificity mustVerbForm = ConstructionGrammar.Studies.GoldbergShirtz2025.mustVerbConstruction.specificity

          must-VERB: derived .partiallyOpen matches stipulated.

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          theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.veggieWrap_is_lexicallySpecified :
          ConstructionGrammar.derivedSpecificity veggieWrapForm = ConstructionGrammar.Specificity.lexicallySpecified

          Veggie-wrap: derived .lexicallySpecified (all fixed).

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          theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.ditransitive_embedding_consistent :
          ConstructionGrammar.ditransitive.toTypedForm = ditransitiveForm

          The ditransitive TypedForm matches the existing ArgStructureConstruction's slots projected through toTypedForm.

          @cite{kay-fillmore-1999} formalize the WXDY construction as a hierarchical AVM with valence sets, grammatical functions, coreference indices (#1, #2), and feature constraints ([loc -], [neg -], [ref ∅]). This flat projection captures the key structural properties while losing the nesting.

          **Coinstantiation** (Figure 13, §4.2) is a general construction
expressing subject control: the matrix subject and the complement's
subject share a coreference index. WXDY's X–Y coindexation is an
instance of this pattern.
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          def Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.wxdyForm :
          ConstructionGrammar.TypedForm String

          WXDY construction typed form (@cite{kay-fillmore-1999}, Figure 12).

          Flat projection of the hierarchical AVM. The five positions:

          • X (subject of BE): open NP, coindexed with Y via refIdx 2
          • BE (head): auxiliary headed by be
          • doing (complement): VP headed by doing, cannot be negated
          • what (object of doing): fixed, left-isolated, nonreferential
          • Y (secondary predicate): open, coindexed with X via refIdx 2

          The coindexation (refIdx 2) captures the paper's #2: X is the understood subject of Y (coinstantiation / subject control).

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            def Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.coinstantiationForm :
            ConstructionGrammar.TypedForm String

            Coinstantiation construction (@cite{kay-fillmore-1999}, Figure 13, §4.2).

            A general pattern for subject control: the matrix subject and the complement's subject share a coreference index.

            "She tried to leave": the subject of try (#1) = the understood subject of leave (#1). This is the mechanism underlying WXDY's X–Y coindexation.

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              Abstraction and specificity #

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              theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.wxdy_abstraction :
              ConstructionGrammar.abstractionLevel wxdyForm = 2 / 5

              WXDY: 2/5 open slots → abstraction level 2/5.

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              theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.wxdy_specificity :
              ConstructionGrammar.derivedSpecificity wxdyForm = ConstructionGrammar.Specificity.partiallyOpen

              WXDY is partiallyOpen: mix of open, headed, and fixed slots.

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              theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.coinstantiation_specificity :
              ConstructionGrammar.derivedSpecificity coinstantiationForm = ConstructionGrammar.Specificity.fullyAbstract

              Coinstantiation is fully abstract (all slots open).

              Coreference constraints #

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              theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.wxdy_coreference_count :
              ConstructionGrammar.refGroupCount wxdyForm = 1

              WXDY has exactly one coreference group (the X–Y coinstantiation).

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              theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.wxdy_coinstantiation :
              ((List.head? wxdyForm).bind fun (x : ConstructionGrammar.Slot String) => x.refIdx) = some 2 ∧ ((List.getLast? wxdyForm).bind fun (x : ConstructionGrammar.Slot String) => x.refIdx) = some 2

              X (first slot) and Y (last slot) share coreference index 2: X is the understood subject of Y.

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              theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.coinstantiation_coreference :
              ConstructionGrammar.refGroupCount coinstantiationForm = 1

              Coinstantiation has exactly one coreference group.

              Syntactic constraints #

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              theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.wxdy_what_constraints :
              ConstructionGrammar.hasConstraint wxdyForm ConstructionGrammar.SlotConstraint.locMinus = true ∧ ConstructionGrammar.hasConstraint wxdyForm ConstructionGrammar.SlotConstraint.refEmpty = true

              WXDY-what is left-isolated ([loc -]) and nonreferential ([ref ∅]). These two constraints together explain why WXDY-what cannot take else modification and is not a true interrogative pronoun.

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              theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.wxdy_doing_negMinus :
              ConstructionGrammar.hasConstraint wxdyForm ConstructionGrammar.SlotConstraint.negMinus = true

              WXDY-doing cannot be negated ([neg -]): "*What's X not doing Y?" is ungrammatical on the incredulity reading.

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              theorem Phenomena.Constructions.Studies.Dunn2026.basic_forms_no_constraints :
              ConstructionGrammar.hasConstraint ditransitiveForm ConstructionGrammar.SlotConstraint.locMinus = false ∧ ConstructionGrammar.hasConstraint ditransitiveForm ConstructionGrammar.SlotConstraint.negMinus = false ∧ ConstructionGrammar.hasConstraint letAloneForm ConstructionGrammar.SlotConstraint.locMinus = false

              Neither the ditransitive nor let alone bear any slot constraints — the enriched constraint machinery is specific to constructions like WXDY that have fine-grained syntactic restrictions.