A Linguistic Ontology for Constructicography: The Research Constructicon and its Ontology Modules

Abstract

This paper introduces the Research Constructicon (RCxn), a project developed within the Research Training Group Dimensions of Constructional Space. The training group finances PhD projects in the framework of Construction Grammar (CxG), which views language as a network of form-meaning pairings. The RCxn is designed as a dynamic, community-driven resource that documents linguistic constructions while also capturing the research processes and findings associated with them. The project addresses three core dimensions: (1) the development of a modular ontology to represent constructions, their relationships, and the research surrounding them; (2) the implementation of database populated by researchers’ contributions; and (3) the creation of a web application to visualize and interact with the data. This paper focuses on our work to implement a rich ontology for the RCxn, which has to accommodate diverse research needs, from cross-linguistic comparisons to multimodal analyses, while ensuring flexibility and interoperability. We detail the modular design of the ontology, its alignment with semantic web standards (RDF/OWL), and the integration of existing ontologies (e.g., OLiA, FOAF). The RCxn’s development is iterative, driven by feedback from our diverse group of PhD researchers.

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