Relations between frames and constructions: A proposal from the Japanese FrameNet constructicon

This chapter discusses relations between frames and constructions, based on the constructicon-building project within the Japanese FrameNet (JFN) project. The aims are: to clarify distinctions between a framenet lexicon and a constructicon; and to contribute to the on-going discussion on whether all constructions are "meaning-bearing." I will argue that a framenet analysis involves annotating frame-based syntactic/semantic structures of words (simple words and multiwords), while a constructicon annotation pertains to describing the internal and external syntax/semantics of linguistic objects that have complex structures. While maintaining that all constructions are meaning-bearing, I will point out that meaning structures of some constructions may not involve frames and propose a frame-based classification of constructions. Finally, I will suggest that a constructicon annotation needs both semantic frames and interactional frames.