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Linglib.Theories.Semantics.Events.Agentivity

The four independent sub-features of agentivity (@cite{cruse-1973} §pp.17–21).

Cruse argues that "agentivity" is not a single binary feature but decomposes into at least four independent components, each with distinct linguistic diagnostics.

  • volitive : AgentivityFeature

    Volitive: an act of will is stated or implied (Cruse p.18). "John deliberately drifted downstream."

  • effective : AgentivityFeature

    Effective: force deriving from position, motion, or kinetic energy (Cruse p.19). "The bullet smashed the collar-bone."

  • initiative : AgentivityFeature

    Initiative: initiating action by command or instruction to another agent (Cruse p.19). "The warder marched the prisoners."

  • agentive_ : AgentivityFeature

    Agentive: use of one's own body's internal energy source (Cruse p.20). "John ran." The prototypical agent feature.

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      structure Semantics.Events.Agentivity.AgentivityProfile (Entity : Type u_1) (Time : Type u_2) [LE Time] :
      Type (max u_1 u_2)

      An agentivity profile assigns Prop-valued feature predicates over entity–event pairs for each of Cruse's four sub-features.

      Each field hasF x e means "entity x exhibits feature F in event e".

      • hasVolitive : EntityEv TimeProp

        Does x exhibit an act of will in e?

      • hasEffective : EntityEv TimeProp

        Does x exert force (from position/motion/energy) in e?

      • hasInitiative : EntityEv TimeProp

        Does x initiate action by command/instruction in e?

      • hasAgentive : EntityEv TimeProp

        Does x use own body's internal energy in e?

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        def Semantics.Events.Agentivity.passesDoTest {Entity : Type u_1} {Time : Type u_2} [LE Time] (x : Entity) (e : Ev Time) (profile : AgentivityProfile Entity Time) :

        The do-test (@cite{cruse-1973} §pp.13–14): "NP VP" entails "NP did something" iff at least one agentivity sub-feature is present.

        This is the disjunction of all four features.

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          theorem Semantics.Events.Agentivity.passesDo_iff_or {Entity : Type u_1} {Time : Type u_2} [LE Time] (x : Entity) (e : Ev Time) (p : AgentivityProfile Entity Time) :

          The do-test is equivalent to the 4-way disjunction (definitional).

          class Semantics.Events.Agentivity.CruseIndependence (Entity : Type u_1) (Time : Type u_2) [LE Time] (profile : AgentivityProfile Entity Time) :

          Axiom class witnessing that the four agentivity features are logically independent: each can be present without the others.

          • volitive_without_agentive : ∃ (x : Entity) (e : Ev Time), profile.hasVolitive x e ¬profile.hasAgentive x e

            Volitive without agentive: "John deliberately drifted downstream"

          • effective_without_volitive : ∃ (x : Entity) (e : Ev Time), profile.hasEffective x e ¬profile.hasVolitive x e

            Effective without volitive: "The bullet smashed the collar-bone"

          • initiative_without_agentive_ : ∃ (x : Entity) (e : Ev Time), profile.hasInitiative x e ¬profile.hasAgentive x e

            Initiative without agentive: "The warder marched the prisoners"

          • agentive_without_initiative : ∃ (x : Entity) (e : Ev Time), profile.hasAgentive x e ¬profile.hasInitiative x e

            Agentive without initiative: "John ran"

          Instances
            theorem Semantics.Events.Agentivity.agent_implies_passesDo {Entity : Type u_1} {Time : Type u_2} [LE Time] {frame : ThematicRoles.ThematicFrame Entity Time} {profile : AgentivityProfile Entity Time} [link : AgentAgentiveLink Entity Time frame profile] (x : Entity) (e : Ev Time) (h : frame.agent x e) :
            passesDoTest x e profile

            Parsons' agent(x,e) entails passesDoTest(x,e), since agentive_ is one of the four disjuncts.

            In any model where agent → hasAgentive, the result follows immediately from the fact that agentive_ is the fourth disjunct.

            theorem Semantics.Events.Agentivity.agent_is_agentive_subfeature {Entity : Type u_1} {Time : Type u_2} [LE Time] {frame : ThematicRoles.ThematicFrame Entity Time} {profile : AgentivityProfile Entity Time} [link : AgentAgentiveLink Entity Time frame profile] [ax : ThematicRoles.ThematicAxioms Entity Time frame] (x : Entity) (e : Ev Time) (h : frame.agent x e) :

            Parsons' agent role captures specifically Cruse's agentive_ sub-feature (own energy, dynamic), not the full do-test notion.

            This is stated as: any model satisfying AgentAgentiveLink and ThematicAxioms has agent entail agentive_ (from the link) and agent entail action (from the axioms). Together these characterize the prototypical "own-energy + dynamic" combination.

            Coercive implication (@cite{nadathur-lauer-2020}) arises exactly when the causee's action is volitional — i.e., when the causee has at least the volitive sub-feature.

            This bridges Cruse's agentivity decomposition to N&L's coercion analysis: "X made Y do Z" implies coercion when Z is volitional for Y, which Cruse would analyze as Y having the volitive feature.

            The force builder is coercive — it lexicalizes coercion of a volitional causee, which is precisely the initiative pattern where the initiator overrides the causee's will.

            The make builder asserts sufficiency — the initiator's action is sufficient for the causee to act.

            There exist stative eventualities that pass the do-test.

            Witness: "John is standing" — volitive (John can stop standing) but stative (no change over the interval). The do-test passes via the volitive feature, even though e.sort =.state.

            This shows the do-test is strictly broader than Parsons' agent role, which requires e.sort =.action.

            theorem Semantics.Events.Agentivity.agent_selects_action_consistent {Entity : Type u_1} {Time : Type u_2} [LE Time] {frame : ThematicRoles.ThematicFrame Entity Time} [ax : ThematicRoles.ThematicAxioms Entity Time frame] (x : Entity) (e : Ev Time) (hState : e.sort = EventSort.state) (hAgent : frame.agent x e) :

            Parsons' agent_selects_action is NOT contradicted by stative do-verbs, because agent captures the narrower agentive_ feature (own energy → dynamic), while the do-test also detects volitive which can apply to states.

            Formally: given ThematicAxioms (which assert agent → action), and AgentAgentiveLink (which assert agent → agentive_), if an entity is agent of a stative event we get a contradiction — so no stative event has a Parsonian agent. The do-test still passes for statives via other features (volitive, effective).