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Linglib.Phenomena.Morphology.Studies.Bhadra2024

Bhadra 2024: Verb roots encode outcomes #

@cite{bhadra-2024}

Bhadra, D. (2024). Verb roots encode outcomes: argument structure and lexical semantics of reversal and restitution. Linguistics and Philosophy 47: 557–610.

Summary #

The reversative prefix un- and the restitutive prefix re- are sensitive to the outcome set of the base verb root. All verb roots come equipped with sets of outcomes (possible states of the object after the action). The cardinality of this set determines affix compatibility:

Key formalizations #

  1. ForceTransmissionClass classifies verbs by impact type (§§2, 3, 4)
  2. BoundaryStates formalizes res/pre operators for state equivalence (§5.2)
  3. LevinClass.forceTransmissionClass bridges Levin classes to outcome classes
  4. Per-verb un- and re- predictions verified against empirical data from (12), (45)

Substrate (was Theories/Morphology/ReversalRestitution.lean, relocated 0.230.455) #

The §§1-14 substrate below was previously a separate top-level theory file; Bhadra 2024 is the originating paper, so the substrate now anchors here per CLAUDE.md "every file is anchored". The deferred follow-up is to extract the theory-portable wing (ForceTransmissionClass, BoundaryStates operators, Set.multiMembered) into Theories/Semantics/ArgumentStructure/Affectedness/Profile.lean once a second consumer materialises.

Cardinality of a verb root's outcome set.

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          structure BoundaryStates (S : Type) :
          • pre : S
          • res : S
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            @[implicit_reducible]
            instance instBEqBoundaryStates {S : Type} [BEq S] :
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            def reversible {S : Type} [BEq S] (base affixed : BoundaryStates S) :
            Bool
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              def restitutive {S : Type} [BEq S] (base affixed : BoundaryStates S) :
              Bool
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                    theorem affectedness_bridge_pfc :
                    Semantics.ArgumentStructure.Affectedness.Profile.profileToDegree { volition := false, sentience := false, causation := false, movement := false, independentExistence := false, changeOfState := false, incrementalTheme := false, causallyAffected := true, stationary := true, dependentExistence := false } = Semantics.ArgumentStructure.Affectedness.Hierarchy.AffectednessDegree.potential
                    @[reducible, inline]
                    abbrev StateFunction (Entity : Type u_4) (State : Type u_5) (Time : Type u_6) :
                    Type (max (max u_4 u_5) u_6)
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                      abbrev Applies (Entity : Type u_4) (Time : Type u_5) [LinearOrder Time] :
                      Type (max u_4 u_5)
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                        structure VerbRootVRO (Entity : Type u_4) (State : Type u_5) (Time : Type u_6) [LinearOrder Time] :
                        Type (max (max u_4 u_5) u_6)
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                          def resState {Entity : Type u_1} {State : Type u_2} {Time : Type u_3} [LinearOrder Time] (stateAt : StateFunction Entity State Time) (e : Semantics.Events.Event Time) (x : Entity) :
                          State
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                            def preState {Entity : Type u_1} {State : Type u_2} {Time : Type u_3} [LinearOrder Time] (stateAt : StateFunction Entity State Time) (e : Semantics.Events.Event Time) (x : Entity) :
                            State
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                              def Set.multiMembered {State : Type u_2} (s : Set State) :
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                              • s.multiMembered = ∃ (s₁ : State) (s₂ : State), s₁ s s₂ s s₁ s₂
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                                def unSem {Entity : Type u_1} {State : Type u_2} {Time : Type u_3} [LinearOrder Time] (stateAt : StateFunction Entity State Time) (vro : VerbRootVRO Entity State Time) (x : Entity) (e : Semantics.Events.Event Time) :
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                                  def rePresupposition {Entity : Type u_1} {State : Type u_2} {Time : Type u_3} [LinearOrder Time] (stateAt : StateFunction Entity State Time) (vro : VerbRootVRO Entity State Time) (x : Entity) (e : Semantics.Events.Event Time) :
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                                    def reSem {Entity : Type u_1} {State : Type u_2} {Time : Type u_3} [LinearOrder Time] (stateAt : StateFunction Entity State Time) (vro : VerbRootVRO Entity State Time) (x : Entity) (e : Semantics.Events.Event Time) :
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                                      theorem singleton_blocks_un {Entity : Type u_1} {State : Type u_2} {Time : Type u_3} [LinearOrder Time] (stateAt : StateFunction Entity State Time) (vro : VerbRootVRO Entity State Time) (h_single : ∃ (s : State), vro.outcomes = {s}) (x : Entity) (e : Semantics.Events.Event Time) :
                                      ¬unSem stateAt vro x e
                                      theorem empty_blocks_un {Entity : Type u_1} {State : Type u_2} {Time : Type u_3} [LinearOrder Time] (stateAt : StateFunction Entity State Time) (vro : VerbRootVRO Entity State Time) (h_empty : vro.outcomes = ) (x : Entity) (e : Semantics.Events.Event Time) :
                                      ¬unSem stateAt vro x e

                                      Only surface contact verbs (PFC class) allow un-: - (d) Surface contact: unpin, unwrap, untwist, unpack, unplug ✓ - (a) Physical property: *unpaint, *unclean, *unfix, *unbreak ✗ - (b) Transforms: *unturn, *uncarve ✗ - (e) Creation: *unbuild, *unconstruct ✗ - (f) Consumption: *undestroy, *uneat ✗ - (g) Degree achievements: *unfill, *unwarm ✗ - (h) No change: *unswim, *unwalk ✗

                                      re- is more permissive than un-: - (a) Physical property: repaint ✓, reclean ✓, refix ✓, rebreak ✓ - (d) Surface contact: repin ✓, rewrap ✓, retwist ✓ - (e) Creation: rebuild ✓, reconstruct ✓, recreate ✓ - (g) Degree achievements: refill ⊳, rewarm ⊳ But re- is blocked when the object is eliminated: - (f) Consumption: *redestroy, *reeat ✗ - (b) Transforms: *retransform ✗ (mostly) - IE: *rehit, *rescrub ✗ - No change: *reswim, *rewalk ✗

                                      Physical property and creation COS classes allow re-.

                                      Consumption, destruction, killing COS classes block re-.

                                      No-change classes block re- (paper's (45h): *reswim, *rewalk).

                                      Possible states of a parchment under folding. Illustrates the multi-membered outcome set of a PFC verb: folding can yield any of these states depending on the force and manner of folding.

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                                          unfold(parchment): folded → flat (reverses fold)

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                                            Reversibility: fold and unfold satisfy the inverse equivalence condition. res(fold) = pre(unfold) and res(unfold) = pre(fold).

                                            Restitution: refold achieves the same result as fold. res(refold) = res(fold).

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                                              States of a wall under painting. Singleton outcome set: painting deterministically yields the painted state.

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                                                def Bhadra2024.instReprWallState.repr :
                                                WallStateStd.Format
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                                                  repaint satisfies restitution: res(repaint) = res(paint).

                                                  *unpaint is blocked: color (24) is COS with singleton outcomes. un- requires multi-membered outcomes (PFC only).

                                                  @cite{bhadra-2024} reclassifies the bend class (45.2) from COS to PFC.

                                                  @cite{levin-1993}: bend has changeOfState = true (diagnosed by causative/inchoative alternation: "the paper folded" / "she folded the paper").

                                                  @cite{bhadra-2024}: fold has multi-membered outcomes (slightly creased, halfway bent, tightly folded, etc.) → PFC, not COS. The change IS possible but not to a SPECIFIC fixed state.

                                                  This is the paper's central theoretical move: outcome set structure is a finer-grained classification than the traditional COS label.

                                                  @cite{rappaport-hovav-levin-2024}'s motionContact template corresponds exactly to @cite{bhadra-2024}'s IE class. The wipe class (10.4) has the motionContact template and is classified as IE.

                                                  End-to-end chain: the Fragment entry for "kick" (Levin 18.1 hit class) derives IE classification and correctly predicts both un- and re- blocking. kick.levinClass → .hit → .impingementEffecting → unCompatible=false, reCompatible=false

                                                  End-to-end chain: the Fragment entry for "bend" (Levin 45.2) derives PFC classification and correctly predicts both un- and re- compatibility. bend.levinClass → .bend → .potentialForChange → unCompatible=true, reCompatible=true

                                                  End-to-end chain: the Fragment entry for "break" (Levin 45.1) derives COS classification → un- blocked, re- allowed. break.levinClass → .break_ → .integralChange → unCompatible=false, reCompatible=true

                                                  VRO for "fold": PFC verb with multi-membered outcome set. The parchment can end up in any of several states after folding. Outcome set = {slightlyCreased, folded, tightlyFolded} (3 members). Threshold set = {flat, slightlyCreased} (contextual pre-states).

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                                                    fold's outcome set is multi-membered: slightlyCreased ≠ folded.

                                                    VRO for "break": COS verb with singleton outcome set. Breaking yields exactly one lexically specified result: broken.

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                                                      def Bhadra2024.instReprLimbState.repr :
                                                      LimbStateStd.Format
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                                                          theorem Bhadra2024.break_blocks_un (stateAt : StateFunction Unit LimbState ) (x : Unit) (e : Semantics.Events.Event ) :
                                                          ¬unSem stateAt breakVRO x e

                                                          break's singleton outcome set blocks un-: *unbreak is predicted to fail because |O| = 1, so the multi-membered presupposition of un- (eq. 66) cannot be satisfied.

                                                          VRO for "hit": IE verb with singleton outcome set (surface alteration). The object's surface is altered in exactly one way.

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                                                                theorem Bhadra2024.hit_blocks_un (stateAt : StateFunction Unit SurfaceState ) (x : Unit) (e : Semantics.Events.Event ) :
                                                                ¬unSem stateAt hitVRO x e

                                                                hit's singleton outcome set blocks un-: *unhit is predicted to fail for the same reason as *unbreak.

                                                                VRO for "destroy": COS consumption verb with singleton outcome set. The outcome (ceased to exist) is also a blocking threshold for re-, since the object cannot be acted on again after being destroyed.

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                                                                      theorem Bhadra2024.destroy_blocks_un (stateAt : StateFunction Unit ObjectExistence ) (x : Unit) (e : Semantics.Events.Event ) :
                                                                      ¬unSem stateAt destroyVRO x e

                                                                      destroy blocks un- (singleton outcomes).

                                                                      The three-way distributional split is derived from outcome set structure:

                                                                      • PFC (fold): multi-membered → un- possible
                                                                      • COS (break): singleton → un- blocked
                                                                      • IE (hit): singleton → un- blocked

                                                                      The theorems in § 10 prove that un- is BLOCKED for certain verb classes. But blocking theorems alone don't guarantee the compositional semantics is non-vacuous. We also need to show un- and re- are SATISFIABLE for the classes that should allow them. The following construct concrete event witnesses and state functions to demonstrate positive satisfiability.

                                                                      theorem Bhadra2024.fold_un_satisfiable :
                                                                      ∃ (stateAt : StateFunction Unit ParchmentState ) (x : Unit) (e : Semantics.Events.Event ), unSem stateAt foldVRO x e

                                                                      Positive existence: un- IS satisfiable for PFC verbs. Constructs a concrete witness showing unSem holds for fold.

                                                                      theorem Bhadra2024.fold_re_satisfiable :
                                                                      ∃ (stateAt : StateFunction Unit ParchmentState ) (x : Unit) (e : Semantics.Events.Event ), reSem stateAt foldVRO x e

                                                                      Positive existence: re- IS satisfiable for PFC verbs. Three-event scenario: fold(ev₁), unfold(ev₂), refold(ev₃). The rePresupposition of ev₃ is witnessed by ev₁ (prior fold with matching result state).

                                                                      theorem Bhadra2024.break_re_satisfiable :
                                                                      ∃ (stateAt : StateFunction Unit LimbState ) (x : Unit) (e : Semantics.Events.Event ), reSem stateAt breakVRO x e

                                                                      Positive existence: re- IS satisfiable for COS verbs. COS verbs (break) block un- but allow re-. This demonstrates that reSem is satisfiable for break despite singleton outcomes.

                                                                      Cross-layer agreement: Boolean and compositional predictions align. The Boolean layer (ForceTransmissionClass) and compositional layer (VRO) agree on the un- prediction for fold (both allow) and break (both block).

                                                                      With APPLIES in the semantics, we can now compositionally derive that *redestroy is blocked — not just via the Boolean layer, but because APPLIES fails when the object has ceased to exist. This closes the gap between the Boolean prediction (destroy_no_re) and the compositional semantics (reSem).

                                                                      VRO for "destroy" with state-aware APPLIES: force can only be exerted on an object that exists at the start of the event. The applies predicate is parameterized by a state function, capturing the fact that you can't destroy what doesn't exist.

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                                                                        Compositional re- blocking for destroy. With state-aware APPLIES, reSem is unsatisfiable for destroy because the re-event requires APPLIES(e)(x), but the object has ceased to exist after the first destruction. The proof shows the assertion's APPLIES condition directly contradicts the post-destruction state.

                                                                        Cross-layer re- agreement for destroy. The Boolean layer (destroy_no_re) and the compositional layer (destroy_re_blocked_compositionally) now agree: *redestroy is blocked at both levels.

                                                                        For break, both layers agree that re- IS allowed: Boolean (break_re) and compositional (break_re_satisfiable).