A Design Pattern for Phrasal Constructions

This demo accompanies the chapter:

Steels, Luc (2011). A Design Pattern for Phrasal Constructions. In: Steels, Luc (editor), "Design Patterns in Fluid Construction Grammar." Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

This demo shows all the examples shown in that chapter but relies on the chapter itself for explanation. It is thus strongly advised to have the chapter at hand.

I Lexical without grammar (Section 4 in chapter)

+++ Definitions +++

We first define three lexical constructions by using the def-lex-cxn template.
mouse-cxn (lex)
sem
syn
?top-unit-869
?top-unit-869
green-cxn (lex)
sem
syn
?top-unit-871
?top-unit-871
the-cxn (lex)
sem
syn
?top-unit-870
?top-unit-870

+++ Examples +++

Parsing "the green mouse"

Applying
construction set (3)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
applied constructions
mouse-cxn (lex)
the-cxn (lex)
green-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((mouse ?mouse-set-119 ?base-set-235) (green ?green-set-78 ?base-set-237) (unique-definite ?indiv-157 ?base-set-236))

Producing 

((unique-definite indiv-mouse-1 green-1) (green green-1 mouse-1) (mouse mouse-1 context-1) (context context-1))

Applying
construction set (3)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
applied constructions
mouse-cxn (lex)
the-cxn (lex)
green-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "green mouse the"

II Category to function constructions (Section 5)

+++ Definitions +++

construction set (5)

+++ Examples +++

Parsing "mouse"

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
applied constructions
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((mouse ?mouse-set-123 ?base-set-251))

Parsing "the mouse"

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
applied constructions
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
article-determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((unique-definite ?indiv-163 ?base-set-253) (mouse ?mouse-set-123 ?base-set-251))

Producing 

((mouse mice-1 context-1))

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
applied constructions
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "mouse"

III Phrasal constructions (Section 6, 6.1 in particular)

+++ Definitions +++

construction set (6)

+++ Examples +++

Parsing "the mouse"

Applying
construction set (6)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((unique-definite ?indiv-167 ?base-set-264) (mouse ?mouse-set-128 ?base-set-262))

Producing 

((unique-definite indiv-mouse-1 mouse-1) (mouse mouse-1 context-1))

Applying
construction set (6)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "mouse the"

III-2 Adding agreement and percolation (Section 6.2)

+++ Definitions +++

construction set (6)

+++ Examples +++

Parsing "the mouse"

Applying
construction set (6)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((unique-definite ?indiv-173 ?context-248) (mouse ?mouse-set-132 ?base-set-274))

Producing 

((unique-definite indiv-mouse-1 mouse-1) (mouse mouse-1 context-1))

Applying
construction set (6)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "the mouse"

III-3 Adding linking (Section 6.3)

+++ Definitions +++

construction set (5)

+++ Examples +++

Parsing "the mouse"

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((unique-definite ?indiv-179 ?base-set-280) (mouse ?base-set-280 ?context-254))

Producing 

((unique-definite indiv-mouse-1 mouse-1) (mouse mouse-1 context-1))

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "the mouse"

III-4 Adding new constructional meaning and form (Section 6.4)

+++ Definitions +++

construction set (5)

+++ Examples +++

Parsing "the mouse"

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
article-determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((context ?context-263) (unique-definite ?indiv-183 ?base-set-284) (mouse ?base-set-284 ?context-263))

Producing 

((unique-definite indiv-mouse-1 mouse-1) (mouse mouse-1 context-1) (context context-1))

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
article-determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "the mouse"

Adjectival + adverbial (Section 7.1)

+++ Definitions +++

construction set (5)

+++ Examples +++

Parsing "very green"

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
adverbial-adjectival-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
adjective-adjectival-cxn (fun)
green-cxn (lex)
adverb-adverbial-cxn (fun)
very-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((very ?very-set-46 ?very-base-set-46) (green ?very-base-set-46 ?context-274))

Producing 

((very very-set-1 green-set-1) (green green-set-1 context-1))

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
adverbial-adjectival-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
adjective-adjectival-cxn (fun)
green-cxn (lex)
adverb-adverbial-cxn (fun)
very-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "very green"

+++ Examples continued (recursive application) +++

Parsing "very very green"

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
adverbial-adjectival-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
adverbial-adjectival-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
adjective-adjectival-cxn (fun)
green-cxn (lex)
adverb-adverbial-cxn (fun)
very-cxn (lex)
adverb-adverbial-cxn (fun)
very-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((green ?very-base-set-51 ?context-274) (very ?very-base-set-46 ?very-base-set-51) (very ?very-set-46 ?very-base-set-46))

Producing 

((very very-set-2 very-set-1) (very very-set-1 green-set-1) (green green-set-1 context-1))

Applying
construction set (5)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
adverbial-adjectival-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
adverbial-adjectival-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
adjective-adjectival-cxn (fun)
green-cxn (lex)
adverb-adverbial-cxn (fun)
very-cxn (lex)
adverb-adverbial-cxn (fun)
very-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "very very green"

Adjectival + nominal (Section 7.2)

+++ Definitions +++

construction set (11)

+++ Examples +++

Parsing "the very green mouse"

Applying
construction set (11)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
article-determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
adjectival-nominal-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
adverbial-adjectival-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
adjective-adjectival-cxn (fun)
green-cxn (lex)
adverb-adverbial-cxn (fun)
... and 1 more
resulting structure

Meaning:

((context ?context-280) (mouse ?context-282 ?context-280) (very ?base-set-295 ?very-base-set-58) (green ?very-base-set-58 ?context-282) (unique-definite ?indiv-187 ?base-set-295))

Producing 

((unique-definite indiv-mouse-1 very-set-1) (very very-set-1 green-1) (green green-1 mouse-1) (mouse mouse-1 context-1) (context context-1))

Applying
construction set (11)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
article-determiner-cxn (fun)
the-cxn (lex)
adjectival-nominal-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
adverbial-adjectival-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
adjective-adjectival-cxn (fun)
green-cxn (lex)
adverb-adverbial-cxn (fun)
... and 1 more
resulting structure

Utterance: "the very green mouse"

The postposed-genitive (Section 7.3)

+++ Definitions +++

construction set (9)

+++ Examples +++

Parsing "this mouse of mine"

Applying
construction set (9)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
postposed-genitive-cxn (marked-phrasal)
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
mine-cxn (lex)
article-determiner-cxn (fun)
this-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((possessive ?indiv-193 ?indiv-191) (mouse ?set-40 ?set-38) (proximal-reference ?indiv-193 ?set-40) (context ?set-38) (context ?context-308) (dialog-participant ?indiv-191 speaker ?context-308))

Parsing "this mouse"

Applying
construction set (9)
 in direction ←

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
article-determiner-cxn (fun)
this-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Meaning:

((context ?set-38) (proximal-reference ?indiv-193 ?set-40) (mouse ?set-40 ?set-38))

Producing 

((context base-set-332) (proximal-reference indiv-616 mouse-set-322) (mouse mouse-set-322 base-set-332))

Applying
construction set (9)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
article-determiner-cxn (fun)
this-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "this mouse"

Producing 

((context context-1) (mouse mouse-set-1 context-1) (proximal-reference indiv-1 mouse-set-1) (context context-2) (dialog-participant indiv-2 speaker context-2) (possessive indiv-1 indiv-2))

Applying
construction set (9)
 in direction →

Found a solution

initial structure
application process
queue
applied constructions
postposed-genitive-cxn (marked-phrasal)
determiner-nominal-phrase-cxn (marked-phrasal)
noun-nominal-cxn (fun)
mouse-cxn (lex)
mine-cxn (lex)
article-determiner-cxn (fun)
this-cxn (lex)
resulting structure

Utterance: "this mouse of mine"