@cite{fillmore-kay-oconnor-1988}: Let Alone — Empirical Data

@cite{fillmore-kay-oconnor-1988}

Theory-neutral grammaticality judgments and contrasts from "Regularity and Idiomaticity in Grammatical Constructions: The Case of Let Alone" (Language 64(3):501–538).

Phenomena covered

1. NPI licensing: which environments license let alone (§2.2.4)
2. Topicalization asymmetry: let alone B cannot topicalize (§2.2.1)
3. VP ellipsis impossibility: unlike and, let alone blocks VP ellipsis (§2.2.1)
4. Scalar anomaly: swapping foci on the scale yields anomaly (§2.3.2)
5. NPI trigger contrasts: barely licenses, almost/only do not (§2.2.4)
6. Wh-extraction asymmetry: easier from let alone than from and (§2.2.1)

structure FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ExampleDatum : Type

A single attested or judged example.

• exNumber : String

  Example number in the paper

• sentence : String

  The sentence

• judgment : Features.Acceptability

  Acceptability judgment

• phenomenon : String

  What phenomenon this illustrates

@[implicit_reducible]

instance FillmoreKayOConnor1988.instReprExampleDatum : Repr ExampleDatum

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• FillmoreKayOConnor1988.instReprExampleDatum = { reprPrec := FillmoreKayOConnor1988.instReprExampleDatum.repr }

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.instReprExampleDatum.repr : ExampleDatum → ℕ → Std.Format

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@[implicit_reducible]

instance FillmoreKayOConnor1988.instBEqExampleDatum : BEq ExampleDatum

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• FillmoreKayOConnor1988.instBEqExampleDatum = { beq := FillmoreKayOConnor1988.instBEqExampleDatum.beq }

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.instBEqExampleDatum.beq : ExampleDatum → ExampleDatum → Bool

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• FillmoreKayOConnor1988.instBEqExampleDatum.beq x✝¹ x✝ = false

1. Basic let alone examples (§2.1, exx.15–19)

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex15b : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex16b : ExampleDatum

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2. NPI trigger contrasts (§2.2.4, exx.62–70, 113–115)

barely licenses let alone; almost and non-subject only do not.

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex62 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex63 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex66 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex113 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex114 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex115 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.npiContrasts : List ExampleDatum

NPI licensing contrasts: barely licenses, almost and only do not.

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• FillmoreKayOConnor1988.npiContrasts = [FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex113, FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex114, FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex115]

3. Topicalization asymmetry (§2.2.1, exx.31a–d)

let alone B cannot be topicalized, unlike coordinate and phrases. This shows let alone is not a standard coordinating conjunction.

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex31a : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex31b : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex31c : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex31d : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.topicalizationContrasts : List ExampleDatum

Topicalization asymmetry: and allows full topicalization, let alone only allows extraposed second conjunct.

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• FillmoreKayOConnor1988.topicalizationContrasts = [FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex31a, FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex31b, FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex31d]

4. VP ellipsis impossibility (§2.2.1, exx.39–41)

let alone does not permit VP ellipsis, unlike and and comparatives.

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex39 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex40 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex41 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.vpEllipsisContrasts : List ExampleDatum

VP ellipsis contrast: and/but allow it, let alone does not.

Equations

• FillmoreKayOConnor1988.vpEllipsisContrasts = [FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex39, FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex40, FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex41]

5. Wh-extraction asymmetry (§2.2.1, exx.32a–b)

Wh-extraction from a let alone phrase is sometimes easier than from a corresponding and-coordination.

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex32a : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex32b : ExampleDatum

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6. Scalar anomaly (§2.3.2, exx.104, 121–122)

Swapping the scalar order of foci yields pragmatic anomaly. The A focus (stronger clause) must be scalar-stronger than B.

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex104 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex121 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex122a : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex122b : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.scalarAnomalyContrasts : List ExampleDatum

Scalar anomaly contrasts: well-formed scalar ordering vs. swapped foci.

Equations

• FillmoreKayOConnor1988.scalarAnomalyContrasts = [FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex121, FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex122a, FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex122b]

7. IT-cleft asymmetry (§2.2.1, exx.33–34)

IT-clefting is possible with a full and-coordination but not with let alone.

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex33 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex34 : ExampleDatum

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8. Lowest-point anomaly (§2.3.2, exx.106–107)

When the B focus names the LOWEST point on the scale, the sentence is anomalous. "He wasn't even a commissioned officer, let alone a colonel" is fine (colonel is higher than commissioned officer). But "#He wasn't even a commissioned officer, let alone a second lieutenant" is anomalous because second lieutenant IS the lowest commissioned rank: negating attainment of a non-lowest point does not a fortiori imply negating attainment of the lowest point — it IS the lowest.

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex106 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex107 : ExampleDatum

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9. Positive polarity examples (§2.2.4, exx.71–72)

Rare but attested: let alone in non-negative contexts. These challenge a purely syntactic NPI account.

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex71 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex72 : ExampleDatum

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.positivePolarityExamples : List ExampleDatum

Positive polarity let alone examples challenge pure NPI analysis.

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• FillmoreKayOConnor1988.positivePolarityExamples = [FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex71, FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex72]

All data

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.allExamples : List ExampleDatum

All judgment data from the paper.

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def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.grammaticalExamples : List ExampleDatum

All grammatical examples.

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• FillmoreKayOConnor1988.grammaticalExamples = List.filter (fun (x : FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ExampleDatum) => x.judgment == Features.Acceptability.ok) FillmoreKayOConnor1988.allExamples

def FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ungrammaticalExamples : List ExampleDatum

All ungrammatical examples.

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theorem FillmoreKayOConnor1988.has_all_judgment_types : (allExamples.any fun (x : ExampleDatum) => x.judgment == Features.Acceptability.ok) = true ∧ (allExamples.any fun (x : ExampleDatum) => x.judgment == Features.Acceptability.unacceptable) = true ∧ (allExamples.any fun (x : ExampleDatum) => x.judgment == Features.Acceptability.marginal) = true ∧ (allExamples.any fun (x : ExampleDatum) => x.judgment == Features.Acceptability.anomalous) = true

Verification: we have examples of all judgment types.

Bridge content (merged from CxG_FillmoreKayOConnor1988Bridge.lean)

Bridge: FKO1988 CxG Theory → Polarity & Constructions Phenomena

@cite{fillmore-kay-oconnor-1988}

Connects the Construction Grammar analysis of let alone to:

1. NPI licensing contexts in Typology.PolarityItem — maps each FKO NPI trigger type to a known licensing context
2. Empirical judgments in FillmoreKayOConnor1988 — verifies that barely licenses let alone while almost does not

Bridge 1: NPI triggers → Typology.PolarityItem.LicensingContext

FKO1988's NPI trigger inventory (§2.2.4) maps onto the licensing contexts already catalogued in Typology.PolarityItem. This bridge makes that mapping explicit: each FKO trigger type corresponds to a known NPI licensing context.

def ConstructionGrammar.Studies.FillmoreKayOConnor1988.Bridge.npiTriggerToContext : LetAloneNPITrigger → Features.LicensingContext

Map FKO1988 let alone NPI triggers to LicensingContexts.

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Bridge 2: FKO Phenomena data ↔ NPI theory

The phenomena file records that barely licenses let alone (ex.115) while almost does not (ex.113). This matches the Core polarity-item classification: barely is a syntactic negative polarity trigger, almost is not.

theorem ConstructionGrammar.Studies.FillmoreKayOConnor1988.Bridge.barely_licenses_let_alone : FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex115.judgment = Features.Acceptability.ok

barely licenses let alone in the phenomena data.

theorem ConstructionGrammar.Studies.FillmoreKayOConnor1988.Bridge.almost_blocks_let_alone : FillmoreKayOConnor1988.ex113.judgment = Features.Acceptability.unacceptable

almost does NOT license let alone in the phenomena data.