The principle of no equivalence: an agent-based model

Abstract Synonymy avoidance has been a recent topic of theoretical contention in Construction Grammar. This paper defines, unpacks, and models the ‘principle of no equivalence’ previously sketched by Leclercq, Benoît & Cameron Morin. 2023. No equivalence: A new principle of no synonymy. Constructions 15. 1–16 to better account for this phenomenon of linguistic knowledge and use. First, we detail three domains of constructional function covered by the principle, namely semantic, pragmatic, and social meaning. We then delineate the scope of the principle as onomasiological usage competitions between syntagmatically interchangeable constructions. Following this, we computationally demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the principle in an agent-based simulation. In particular, we show that only two linguistic maxims, optimal expressivity and usage affecting grammar, are sufficient minimal conditions for the consistent emergence of no equivalence in a community of agents. We conclude on the generalisability of our results and the desirability of sophisticated computational methods for the sharpening of core tenets in theories of language such as Construction Grammar.