structurelexicon

Structurelexicon is a structured lexicon that catalogs linguistic structures—such as syntactic constructions, subcategorization frames, and argument structures—together with metadata describing their usage, semantics, and cross-linguistic realizations. The term combines structure with lexicon to emphasize cataloging not only words but the grammatical frames and constructions in which words and phrases appear. While not a universally standardized term, structurelexicon is used in linguistics and language technology to describe resources that organize structural templates beside lexical items.

Typical entries include: canonical form; syntactic frame; subcategorization or valency information; semantic roles; morphological variants; example sentences; cross-linguistic equivalents; notes on frequency and genre; and links to related constructions. Data are often encoded in structured formats such as XML, JSON, or RDF, enabling integration with corpora, parsing tools, and ontology-based systems.

Usage: in natural language processing, structurelexicons support parsing, grammar induction, and semantic role labeling by providing reusable templates. In lexicography and language learning, they help illustrate constructional patterns and usage restrictions. They also support cross-linguistic studies by aligning constructions across languages.

Relation: structurelexicon complements standard lexicons by focusing on syntax and construction. It is related to frame semantics, valency theory, and grammatical frameworks like construction grammar and lexical and compositional grammars. The concept can be applied to specialized domains, such as technical writing or education, where domain-specific constructions are important.

Challenges include keeping coverage up to date, handling polysemy and constructional ambiguity, representing variability across dialects, and ensuring interoperability among resources. Research directions include integrating corpus evidence, probabilistic modelling of construction usage, and linking to ontologies and knowledge graphs.