Speas & Tenny (2003): Configurational Properties of Point of View Roles

Speas and Tenny derive the pragmatic roles a grammar can refer to from argument positions. The speech-act head projects a shell with the speaker as its external argument, the utterance content as the specifier of the lower head and the hearer as its complement, the agent, theme and goal of the speech act. The head has two formal features: absorbing the feature checked in a spec-head configuration promotes the hearer above the content, and the head selects a finite or a nonfinite content. A second shell, the sentience domain, hosts the seat of knowledge, the sentient argument that evaluates the proposition, and the evidence below it. The seat is controlled by the closest c-commander of the content.

Main statements

• moodEquiv: the four settings of the two features are the four grammaticized moods, so no language marks a promise, a warning or another illocutionary act.
• SAFeatures.controller_closest: the controller of the seat is the closest c-commander of the content.
• Mood.seatOfKnowledge_eq: the speaker is the seat in declaratives and subjunctives and the hearer in interrogatives and imperatives, which is why discourse-oriented adverbs in a question report the hearer's attitude.
• target_ne_hearer: the source, self and pivot of Sells are not roles of their own, the source being the highest argument of the speech act, the self the seat, and the pivot a thematic argument coindexed with the seat.

Implementation notes

• The speech-act shell is recorded by the height of each argument (SAFeatures.height), and c-command is comparison of heights.
• Whether a quotative mood is the speech-act structure with an expletive speaker, which the paper leaves open, and the parallel it draws between the logophoric hierarchy of predicates and the hierarchy of evidence types are not formalized.
• The speech-act projection carries no specific predicate, only the configuration, so this is not the performative analysis of Ross.

References

• [ST03]
• [HK93]
• [Cin99]
• [Riz97]
• [Lar88]
• [Sea79]
• [Sel87]
• [Ros70]
• [Wil88]

The speech-act shell

inductive SpeasTenny2003.SAArgument : Type

The arguments of the speech-act head, the agent, theme and goal of the speech act.

• speaker : SAArgument
• content : SAArgument
• hearer : SAArgument

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqSAArgument : DecidableEq SAArgument

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqSAArgument x✝ y✝ = if h : x✝.ctorIdx = y✝.ctorIdx then isTrue ⋯ else isFalse ⋯

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instFintypeSAArgument : Fintype SAArgument

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def SpeasTenny2003.instReprSAArgument.repr : SAArgument → ℕ → Std.Format

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• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instReprSAArgument : Repr SAArgument

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instReprSAArgument = { reprPrec := SpeasTenny2003.instReprSAArgument.repr }

structure SpeasTenny2003.SAFeatures : Type

The speech-act head has two formal features. One says whether the feature checked in a spec-head configuration is absorbed, promoting the hearer above the content, and the other whether the head selects a finite content.

• hearerPromoted : Bool
• contentFinite : Bool

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqSAFeatures : DecidableEq SAFeatures

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqSAFeatures = SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqSAFeatures.decEq

def SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqSAFeatures.decEq (x✝ x✝¹ : SAFeatures) : Decidable (x✝ = x✝¹)

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instReprSAFeatures : Repr SAFeatures

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instReprSAFeatures = { reprPrec := SpeasTenny2003.instReprSAFeatures.repr }

def SpeasTenny2003.instReprSAFeatures.repr : SAFeatures → ℕ → Std.Format

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def SpeasTenny2003.SAFeatures.height (f : SAFeatures) : SAArgument → ℕ

The height of an argument in the shell. The speaker is the external argument, and below it the content precedes the hearer unless the hearer is promoted.

Equations

• f.height SpeasTenny2003.SAArgument.speaker = 2
• f.height SpeasTenny2003.SAArgument.content = if f.hearerPromoted = true then 0 else 1
• f.height SpeasTenny2003.SAArgument.hearer = if f.hearerPromoted = true then 1 else 0

def SpeasTenny2003.SAFeatures.CCommands (f : SAFeatures) (a b : SAArgument) : Prop

a c-commands b in the shell when a sits higher.

Equations

• f.CCommands a b = (f.height b < f.height a)

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableCCommands (f : SAFeatures) (a b : SAArgument) : Decidable (f.CCommands a b)

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableCCommands f a b = { decide := (f.height b).succ.ble (f.height a), reflects_decide := ⋯ }

def SpeasTenny2003.SAFeatures.controller (f : SAFeatures) : SAArgument

The controller of the seat of knowledge is the hearer once promoted and the speaker otherwise.

Equations

• f.controller = if f.hearerPromoted = true then SpeasTenny2003.SAArgument.hearer else SpeasTenny2003.SAArgument.speaker

theorem SpeasTenny2003.SAFeatures.controller_cCommands (f : SAFeatures) : f.CCommands f.controller SAArgument.content

The controller c-commands the content.

theorem SpeasTenny2003.SAFeatures.controller_closest (f : SAFeatures) {a : SAArgument} (h : f.CCommands a SAArgument.content) (ha : a ≠ f.controller) : f.CCommands a f.controller

The controller is the closest c-commander of the content, since any other argument c-commanding the content c-commands the controller.

theorem SpeasTenny2003.SAFeatures.controller_eq_hearer_iff (f : SAFeatures) : f.controller = SAArgument.hearer ↔ f.CCommands SAArgument.hearer SAArgument.content

The hearer controls the seat exactly when promoted above the content.

The four moods

inductive SpeasTenny2003.Mood : Type

The grammaticized moods.

• declarative : Mood
• interrogative : Mood
• imperative : Mood
• subjunctive : Mood

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqMood : DecidableEq Mood

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqMood x✝ y✝ = if h : x✝.ctorIdx = y✝.ctorIdx then isTrue ⋯ else isFalse ⋯

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instFintypeMood : Fintype Mood

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instFintypeMood = { elems := { val := ↑SpeasTenny2003.Mood.enumList, nodup := SpeasTenny2003.Mood.enumList_nodup }, complete := SpeasTenny2003.instFintypeMood._proof_1 }

def SpeasTenny2003.instReprMood.repr : Mood → ℕ → Std.Format

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• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instReprMood : Repr Mood

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instReprMood = { reprPrec := SpeasTenny2003.instReprMood.repr }

def SpeasTenny2003.Mood.ofFeatures : SAFeatures → Mood

The mood a feature setting yields. A finite content with the hearer in place is a declarative and with the hearer promoted an interrogative; a nonfinite content with the hearer promoted is an imperative and with the content above the hearer a subjunctive.

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.Mood.ofFeatures { hearerPromoted := false, contentFinite := true } = SpeasTenny2003.Mood.declarative
• SpeasTenny2003.Mood.ofFeatures { hearerPromoted := true, contentFinite := true } = SpeasTenny2003.Mood.interrogative
• SpeasTenny2003.Mood.ofFeatures { hearerPromoted := true, contentFinite := false } = SpeasTenny2003.Mood.imperative
• SpeasTenny2003.Mood.ofFeatures { hearerPromoted := false, contentFinite := false } = SpeasTenny2003.Mood.subjunctive

def SpeasTenny2003.Mood.features : Mood → SAFeatures

The feature setting of a mood.

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.Mood.declarative.features = { hearerPromoted := false, contentFinite := true }
• SpeasTenny2003.Mood.interrogative.features = { hearerPromoted := true, contentFinite := true }
• SpeasTenny2003.Mood.imperative.features = { hearerPromoted := true, contentFinite := false }
• SpeasTenny2003.Mood.subjunctive.features = { hearerPromoted := false, contentFinite := false }

theorem SpeasTenny2003.Mood.ofFeatures_features (m : Mood) : ofFeatures m.features = m

theorem SpeasTenny2003.Mood.features_ofFeatures (f : SAFeatures) : (ofFeatures f).features = f

def SpeasTenny2003.moodEquiv : SAFeatures ≃ Mood

The inventory of grammaticized moods exhausts the variation of the head's two features and nothing else, which is why no language marks any further speech act.

Equations

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The sentience domain and the pragmatic roles

inductive SpeasTenny2003.SentienceArgument : Type

The arguments of the sentience shell are, from highest, the seat of knowledge in the specifier of the evaluation phrase, the evidence in the specifier of the evidential phrase, and the proposition.

• seatOfKnowledge : SentienceArgument
• evidence : SentienceArgument
• proposition : SentienceArgument

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqSentienceArgument : DecidableEq SentienceArgument

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqSentienceArgument x✝ y✝ = if h : x✝.ctorIdx = y✝.ctorIdx then isTrue ⋯ else isFalse ⋯

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instFintypeSentienceArgument : Fintype SentienceArgument

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instReprSentienceArgument : Repr SentienceArgument

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instReprSentienceArgument = { reprPrec := SpeasTenny2003.instReprSentienceArgument.repr }

def SpeasTenny2003.instReprSentienceArgument.repr : SentienceArgument → ℕ → Std.Format

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

inductive SpeasTenny2003.PRole : Type

The grammatically relevant pragmatic roles are the sentient argument positions of the two shells, no more than three in any language.

• speaker : PRole
• hearer : PRole
• seatOfKnowledge : PRole

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqPRole : DecidableEq PRole

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instDecidableEqPRole x✝ y✝ = if h : x✝.ctorIdx = y✝.ctorIdx then isTrue ⋯ else isFalse ⋯

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instFintypePRole : Fintype PRole

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instFintypePRole = { elems := { val := ↑SpeasTenny2003.PRole.enumList, nodup := SpeasTenny2003.PRole.enumList_nodup }, complete := SpeasTenny2003.instFintypePRole._proof_1 }

def SpeasTenny2003.instReprPRole.repr : PRole → ℕ → Std.Format

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

@[instance_reducible]

instance SpeasTenny2003.instReprPRole : Repr PRole

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.instReprPRole = { reprPrec := SpeasTenny2003.instReprPRole.repr }

def SpeasTenny2003.Mood.seatOfKnowledge (m : Mood) : SAArgument

The argument the seat of knowledge is coindexed with in a mood, its controller.

Equations

• m.seatOfKnowledge = m.features.controller

theorem SpeasTenny2003.Mood.seatOfKnowledge_eq : declarative.seatOfKnowledge = SAArgument.speaker ∧ interrogative.seatOfKnowledge = SAArgument.hearer ∧ imperative.seatOfKnowledge = SAArgument.hearer ∧ subjunctive.seatOfKnowledge = SAArgument.speaker

The speaker is the seat in declaratives and subjunctives, the hearer in interrogatives and imperatives. The hearer holds the knowledge that settles a question and is responsible for realizing the unrealized content of a command, the speaker for choosing the preferred world of a subjunctive.

theorem SpeasTenny2003.Mood.seatOfKnowledge_eq_hearer_iff (m : Mood) : m.seatOfKnowledge = SAArgument.hearer ↔ m.features.hearerPromoted = true

The seat is the hearer exactly in the moods where the hearer is promoted above the content, so the discourse-oriented adverbs of a question, evidently, unfortunately, honestly, report the hearer's attitude.

theorem SpeasTenny2003.Mood.seatOfKnowledge_ne_content (m : Mood) : m.seatOfKnowledge ≠ SAArgument.content

The seat is never the content, since it is a sentient argument.

def SpeasTenny2003.target : Reference.LogophoricRole → PRole

The position each logophoric role of [Sel87] is. The source is the highest argument of the speech act, the self is the seat of knowledge, and the pivot is a thematic argument coindexed with the seat, an experiencer when a theme and the orientation of a predicate like come when a goal.

Equations

• SpeasTenny2003.target Reference.LogophoricRole.source = SpeasTenny2003.PRole.speaker
• SpeasTenny2003.target Reference.LogophoricRole.self = SpeasTenny2003.PRole.seatOfKnowledge
• SpeasTenny2003.target Reference.LogophoricRole.pivot = SpeasTenny2003.PRole.seatOfKnowledge

theorem SpeasTenny2003.target_ne_hearer (r : Reference.LogophoricRole) : target r ≠ PRole.hearer

No logophoric role is a role of its own, since each is a coindexing with the speaker or the seat.