Relations
[v0.2]Eight connector jurisdictions. Once a composition declares its relation contract, each becomes exclusive and stable throughout that work.
[rule] The line syntax carries the jurisdiction. Never ask colour to do it — a relation that exists only in colour fails release gate 06.
Eight jurisdictions
S
Semantic elaboration
Syntax
Soft unarrowed leader + role label
Means
Elaborates or belongs with
Never
Evidence or causality
E
Evidence join
Syntax
Dotted indexed connector
Means
Bears on this exact span; function is named in the capsule
Never
Support, proof or consent by proximity
I
Inference
Syntax
Dashed directional edge + precise verb + warrant
Means
Follows from, under a named warrant
Never
Silently physical causality
M
Mechanism
Syntax
Solid directional edge + operating condition + countercondition
Means
Produces, through a stated mechanism
Never
Certainty exceeding the evidence
G
Authority gate
Syntax
Double gated edge naming mandate, standing, decision rule and actor
Means
Authorises or refuses
Never
An epistemic claim conferring authority on itself
T
State transition
Syntax
Strong directional edge naming prior state, action, resulting state
Means
Changes state, with consequence, expiry and remedy
Never
A state change without a named resulting state
Q
Contestation
Syntax
Opposing or terminating edge
Means
Unless, limits, contests or counterevidence
Never
Being peripheral making it less material
R
Review + correction
Syntax
Return edge naming trigger, reviewer and evidence update
Means
Returns through observation and review
Never
A decorative loop manufacturing recursion
Three distinctions the grammar exists to hold
Evidence function is a property of the declared relation — not of proximity, colour, scale or centrality. These are logical statements, not an empirical model.
record_contains(u) ⇏ content_of(u) is true
A trace is not verification.
mentions(x, corpus, t) ⇏ prevalence(x, population, t)
Mentions track representation, not the world.
evidence_object(e) pertains_to span(s) ⇏ e supports s
Pertinence is not support.
Function vocabulary
Use precise epistemic verbs. Reserve proves for deduction — most documentary and empirical relations support, constrain or contest rather than prove.
authenticates
Verifies the record contains the utterance — not that its account is accurate.
identifies
Resolves a referent while leaving boundary and standing contestable.
contextualises
Situates a term without measuring the condition it names.
quantifies
Attaches a measure, with unit, denominator and window declared.
corroborates
Independently bears out a status, without establishing common cause.
supports
Raises the standing of a claim under a stated warrant.
limits
Bounds the scope within which the claim holds.
contests
Offers a competing account of the same span.
cannot adjudicate
Bears on the span but is insufficient to settle it.
Evidence capsule
One evidence object joined to one exact span. The function verb states what the object does; the disclosure strip states how it was produced and where it stops.
[ CONSTRUCTED EXAMPLE / NOT EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ]
E1 / identifies / span S1
“the neighbourhood”
Which governed boundary and affected population does the source mean?
E4 / tests absence / span S4
“the contingency fund remained unreleased”
Can absence be inferred from this ledger's scope, completeness and recording rules?
[rule] E1 identifies the intended place boundary. It does not establish who has standing, or who the source excludes.
The evidence-object contract
Identity + target
Object ID, exact span ID, target wording and object type
Epistemic function
Authenticates, identifies, contextualises, quantifies, supports, limits, contests or cannot adjudicate
Provenance
Source, custodian, author or speaker and transcription status
Scope + denominator
Time, place, population, corpus, unit, baseline and system boundary
Method
Query, transformation, entity resolution, classification and normalisation
Uncertainty + limitation
Missingness, error, competing account, causal limit and unknowns
Inspection + counterevidence
Route to source, method, data and material contesting evidence
Lifecycle + correction
Observed, reviewed and expiry dates; owner and challenge route
Additional disclosure by evidence type
What each object type must declare, and what it must never be allowed to imply silently.
Quantitative measure
Metric, unit, denominator, baseline, window, raw or normalised status
✗ That precision creates relevance, adequacy or causality
Corpus trace
Corpus, query, deduplication, entity resolution, coverage and missingness
✗ That mentions measure real-world incidence or truth
Quotation / archive
Voice, date, publication context, transcription and allegation or observation status
✗ That the source's description has been verified
Absence claim
Record scope, completeness, recording rules and alternative repositories
✗ That no matching entry means no event occurred
Model output
Inputs, assumptions, version, validation, range and expiry
✗ That simulation is observation
Counterevidence
Same structural status, provenance and inspection route as supporting material
✗ That being peripheral makes it less material