conceptionary - Concept card structure

# Conceptionary — Concept Card Structure

*Alan William Preston @ Mangawhai, New Zealand*

*May 2026*

---

## Purpose

The concept card is the basic unit of the Conceptionary library. It defines the

structural specification of a concept — what it is, how it is shaped, which template

it maps to, where it occurs spatially, and how it relates to other concepts.

Vocabulary in specific language pairs is stored separately as a layer on top of the

concept card. The card itself is language-neutral at the structural level, with

language-specific notes added where a language requires different treatment.

---

## The Three Levels of Granularity

```

CONCEPT GROUP

A navigational cluster. No template of its own.

Used for search and browsing only.

e.g. "Freshness of food"

│

├── CONCEPT CARD

│ The basic unit. Has its own template assignment.

│ e.g. "Freshness of bread"

│ │

│ └── VARIANTS

│ Same template positions; only the subject noun changes.

│ e.g. freshness of cake / freshness of pastry / freshness of biscuits

│

└── CONCEPT CARD (divergent sub-concept)

Separate card because shape, template, or positions differ.

e.g. "Freshness of cheese" → bell curve, not negative gradient

```

---

## Field Definitions

---

### SECTION 1 — IDENTIFICATION

| Field | Description |

|---|---|

| **Concept ID** | Auto-generated unique identifier |

| **Concept name** | Human-readable name in English (the meta-language) |

| **Concept group** | Parent group name, if this card belongs to a navigational cluster |

| **Meta-concept link** | If this is a language-specific card (e.g. Japanese clothing verbs), the ID of the meta-concept it expresses |

---

### SECTION 2 — TAXONOMY

| Field | Description | Values |

|---|---|---|

| **Super-category** | From the master taxonomy | Temporal / Geographic / Sensory / Action / Relational / Impression / Emotional / Mental / Physical Properties / Bodily / Health-Medical / Natural-Environmental / Spatial-Directional / Social-Cultural / Economic-Financial / Moral-Ethical / Aesthetic-Artistic / Quantitative / Linguistic-Communicative |

| **Sub-category** | Specific sub-category within the super-category | As per master taxonomy |

| **Shape** | The conceptual structure of the gradient or pattern | See Shape Reference below |

#### Shape Reference

| Shape | Description |

|---|---|

| Positive gradient | Increases from low to high |

| Negative gradient | Decreases; something deteriorates permanently |

| Bell curve | Rises to optimal peak then falls; extremes undesirable |

| Upward curve | Escalates, mounts, rises — returns to baseline |

| Downward curve | Falls from positive norm, worsens — returns to baseline |

| Bipolar spectrum | Meaningful neutral midpoint; negative and positive extremes |

| Named sequence | Discrete categories; no inherent gradient |

| Cycle | Repeating pattern with no fixed start or end |

| Conditional | Different shapes for different sub-cases of the same concept |

| Dual metaphor | Both upward and downward expressions are linguistically valid |

| Asymmetric — instant spike, gradual return | Peak reached instantly; return is gradual |

| Asymmetric — gradual rise, instant crash | Peak reached gradually; return is instant |

---

### SECTION 3 — TEMPLATE ASSIGNMENT

| Field | Description |

|---|---|

| **Primary template** | The main recommended template code |

| **Secondary template** | Alternative template (for dual-metaphor or conditional concepts) |

| **Assignment condition** | When primary applies vs. when secondary applies |

| **Mode(s)** | States / Transitions / Collocation (one or more) |

| **Collocation frames** | If Collocation Mode: the grammatical patterns to display at each position |

#### Mode Definitions

| Mode | Primary vocabulary | Description |

|---|---|---|

| States | Nouns, adjectives, adverbs | Static vocabulary items at spatial positions on template |

| Transitions | Verbs | Vocabulary in motion — action along a path |

| Collocation | Grammatical patterns | Vocabulary items displayed with their grammatical partners |

#### Collocation Frames (where Collocation Mode applies)

Specify the grammatical frame displayed at each template position. Examples:

- Adverbs of degree: `[adverb] + [adjective]` · `[adverb] + [adverb]`

- Sufficiency: `not [adjective] enough` · `[adjective] enough` · `too [adjective]`

- Comparatives: `[adjective]-er / more [adjective] + than` · `the [adjective]-est + of/in`

---

### SECTION 4 — TEMPLATE POSITIONS

The positions are the named slots on the template where vocabulary is placed.

The number of positions depends on the template type.

| Template type | Number of positions | Position labels |

|---|---|---|

| IP3L / GP3L | 3 | Line 1 (original state) · Line 2 (transitional state) · Line 3 (new state) |

| IT5L / GT5L | 5 | Level 1 · Level 2 · Level 3 · Level 4 · Level 5 |

| GTCV / GTCVI / GPCVP / GPCVN | Variable | Left anchor · Named points along curve · Peak/trough · Right anchor |

| ITGCV / ITGCVI / GTICV / GTICVI | 3 | Baseline · Peak or trough · Return baseline |

| Diagonal Line | Variable | Left anchor · Named intermediate points · Right anchor |

| Horizontal / Vertical Line | Variable | Named points |

**Each position carries two fields:**

| Field | Description | Example |

|---|---|---|

| **Vocabulary item** | The key word or phrase at this position | *going stale* |

| **Example sentence** | A sentence demonstrating the item in context | *The bread is going stale.* |

For **States Mode**: vocabulary item = adjective / noun / adverb; sentence = descriptive statement.

For **Transitions Mode**: vocabulary item = verb or verb phrase; sentence = action in context.

For **Collocation Mode**: vocabulary item = the collocation pattern; sentence = a full example of the pattern in use.

Position content is specified in English as the reference layer.

For each language pair, both the vocabulary item and the example sentence

are provided in the target language as a separate vocabulary layer on top

of the English reference.

---

### SECTION 5 — LOCATION TAGS

Location tags connect the concept card to the Spatial Location Index.

Each tag references a Location ID from the index. Three tag tiers are defined

— see *Conceptionary — Spatial Location Index Structure* for full definitions.

| Field | Tag tier | Description |

|---|---|---|

| **Primary locations** | PRIMARY | Where the concept most naturally and centrally exists (1–3 locations) |

| **Secondary locations** | SECONDARY | Where the concept also occurs but less centrally (1–5 locations) |

| **Transitional locations** | TRANSITIONAL | Locations the concept passes through as part of a journey or process (0–6 locations) |

**Transitional tags** are appropriate for concepts that involve objects, food,

or materials that move through space — from purchase to storage to use to disposal.

Not all concepts have a transitional journey; those that do generate a navigable

path through the spatial index.

---

### SECTION 6 — RELATIONS

| Field | Description |

|---|---|

| **Concept group** | Parent group (if applicable) |

| **Variants** | Concepts sharing the same template positions; only the subject noun differs |

| **Siblings** | Other concept cards in the same concept group |

| **Related concepts** | Concept cards in different groups that are semantically close |

| **Extends** | A concept card whose Line 2 or intermediate position this card expands |

The **Extends** field captures the relationship first identified in the toast example:

the Diagonal Line template was used to expand Line 2 of the GP3LN card into a

more detailed sub-spectrum. A concept card that performs this function carries a

link to the parent card it is extending.

---

### SECTION 7 — LANGUAGE PAIRS

| Field | Description |

|---|---|

| **Available** | Language pairs for which vocabulary has been populated (EN-DE / EN-ID / EN-JA / EN-TRM) |

| **Requested** | Language pairs awaiting vocabulary population |

| **Divergence flag** | Y / N — does any language require structurally different treatment? |

| **Structural divergence note** | Which language(s), and what differs (number of cards, template type, positions) |

| **Equivalent cards** | IDs of language-specific cards serving the same meta-concept in divergent languages |

---

### SECTION 8 — ADMINISTRATION

| Field | Description | Values |

|---|---|---|

| **Status** | Current state of the card | Library / AI-generated / Pending review / Requested |

| **Created by** | Origin of the card | Library (editorial) / AI on request |

| **Date created** | ISO date | YYYY-MM-DD |

| **Date last updated** | ISO date | YYYY-MM-DD |

| **Notes** | Any additional considerations for editors or learners | Free text |

---

## Granularity Decision Rules

Before creating a concept card, apply these rules in order:

```

1. Does the SHAPE differ from apparent siblings?

YES → Separate card

NO ↓

2. Do the TEMPLATE POSITIONS require different vocabulary

beyond substituting the subject noun?

YES → Separate card

NO ↓

3. Do LOCATION TAGS differ significantly?

YES → Separate card, linked as sibling

NO ↓

4. Would learners search for this concept specifically by name?

YES → Separate card

NO ↓

5. Is there CULTURAL or LINGUISTIC specificity in any target language?

YES → Separate card

NO → VARIANT within an existing card

```

---

## Example Concept Cards

---

### EXAMPLE 1 — Simple card (single template, single mode)

```

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐

│ SECTION 1 — IDENTIFICATION │

│ Concept ID : CC-0042 │

│ Concept name : Freshness of bread │

│ Concept group : Freshness of baked goods │

│ Meta-concept link : — │

├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤

│ SECTION 2 — TAXONOMY │

│ Super-category : Sensory → Taste │

│ Sub-category : Freshness (taste) │

│ Shape : Negative gradient │

│ SECTION 3 — TEMPLATE ASSIGNMENT │

│ Primary template : GP3LN │

│ Secondary template: Diagonal Line Down (extends Line 2) │

│ Assignment cond. : Secondary used to expand the transitional │

│ state into a more detailed sub-spectrum │

│ Mode(s) : States / Transitions │

│ Collocation frames: — │

│ SECTION 4 — TEMPLATE POSITIONS │

│ Line 1 (orig.) : [item] fresh │

│ [sent] The bread is fresh. │

│ Line 2 (trans.) : [item] going stale │

│ [sent] The bread is going stale. │

│ └── Diagonal extension: │

│ [item] lightly toasted / [sent] The toast is lightly done.│

│ [item] just right / [sent] The toast is just right. │

│ [item] overdone / [sent] The toast is overdone. │

│ [item] burned / [sent] The toast is burned. │

│ Line 3 (new state): [item] stale │

│ [sent] The bread is stale. │

│ SECTION 5 — LOCATION TAGS │

│ Primary : Kitchen bench / bread bin │

│ Secondary : Dining table / bakery / café │

│ Transitional : Bakery counter (purchase) → │

│ shopping bag → kitchen bench (unpacking) │

│ SECTION 6 — RELATIONS │

│ Concept group : Freshness of baked goods │

│ Variants : Freshness of cake / pastry / biscuits │

│ Siblings : Freshness of dairy / Freshness of meat │

│ Related concepts : Degree of toasting · Stages of bread-making │

│ Extends : — │

│ SECTION 7 — LANGUAGE PAIRS │

│ Available : EN-DE / EN-ID / EN-JA │

│ Requested : EN-FR / EN-ES │

│ Divergence flag : N │

│ SECTION 8 — ADMINISTRATION │

│ Status : Library │

│ Created by : Library (editorial) │

│ Date created : 2026-05-21 │

│ Date last updated : 2026-05-21 │

│ Notes : — │

└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

```

---

### EXAMPLE 2 — Dual metaphor card

```

│ SECTION 1 — IDENTIFICATION │

│ Concept ID : CC-0187 │

│ Concept name : Conflict level │

│ Concept group : Relational — conflict and harmony │

│ Meta-concept link : — │

│ SECTION 2 — TAXONOMY │

│ Super-category : Relational │

│ Sub-category : Conflict and harmony │

│ Shape : Dual metaphor │

│ SECTION 3 — TEMPLATE ASSIGNMENT │

│ Primary template : GTCV │

│ Secondary template: GTCVI │

│ Assignment cond. : GTCV for upward expressions │

│ (escalates / heightens / rises) │

│ GTCVI for downward expressions │

│ (descends into / calms down / subsides) │

│ Mode(s) : States / Transitions │

│ Collocation frames: — │

│ Note : Combined dual-metaphor template proposed │

│ for future development │

│ SECTION 4 — TEMPLATE POSITIONS │

│ Left anchor : [item] peaceful │

│ [sent] There is no conflict. │

│ Point 2 : [item] minor tension │

│ [sent] There is some tension between them. │

│ Point 3 : [item] disagreement │

│ [sent] They are in disagreement. │

│ Point 4 : [item] argument │

│ [sent] They are arguing. │

│ Peak : [item] serious conflict │

│ [sent] The conflict has become serious. │

│ Point 6 : [item] de-escalating │

│ [sent] Things are starting to calm down. │

│ Point 7 : [item] reconciling │

│ [sent] They are working toward reconciliation. │

│ Right anchor : [item] resolved │

│ [sent] The conflict has been resolved. │

│ SECTION 5 — LOCATION TAGS │

│ Primary : Workplace / home / school │

│ Secondary : International relations / community │

│ Transitional : — (conflict is not a travelling concept) │

│ SECTION 6 — RELATIONS │

│ Concept group : Relational — conflict and harmony │

│ Variants : — │

│ Siblings : Harmony level · Cooperation level │

│ Related concepts : Trust · Agreement · Emotional anger │

│ Extends : — │

│ SECTION 7 — LANGUAGE PAIRS │

│ Available : EN-DE │

│ Requested : EN-ID / EN-JA │

│ Divergence flag : Y │

│ Divergence note : Metaphor direction varies by language. │

│ Check dominant metaphor per target language │

│ before selecting GTCV vs GTCVI. │

│ SECTION 8 — ADMINISTRATION │

│ Status : Library │

│ Created by : Library (editorial) │

│ Date created : 2026-05-21 │

│ Date last updated : 2026-05-21 │

│ Notes : Awaiting combined dual-metaphor template │

```

---

### EXAMPLE 3 — Conditional template card

```

│ SECTION 1 — IDENTIFICATION │

│ Concept ID : CC-0214 │

│ Concept name : Pain level │

│ Concept group : Bodily — comfort and pain │

│ Meta-concept link : — │

│ SECTION 2 — TAXONOMY │

│ Super-category : Bodily / Physiological │

│ Sub-category : Pain level │

│ Shape : Conditional │

│ SECTION 3 — TEMPLATE ASSIGNMENT │

│ Primary template : ITGCV* (proposed) │

│ Secondary template: GTCV │

│ Assignment cond. : ITGCV* → sudden onset (e.g. injury, │

│ impact, acute event) │

│ GTCV → gradual onset (e.g. infection, │

│ inflammation, chronic condition developing) │

│ Mode(s) : States / Transitions │

│ Collocation frames: — │

│ Note : ITGCV* awaits template creation │

│ SECTION 4 — TEMPLATE POSITIONS │

│ Baseline : [item] pain-free │

│ [sent] There is no pain. │

│ Point 2 : [item] mild discomfort │

│ [sent] There is a little discomfort. │

│ Point 3 : [item] moderate pain │

│ [sent] The pain is moderate. │

│ Point 4 : [item] severe pain │

│ [sent] The pain is severe. │

│ Peak : [item] unbearable pain │

│ [sent] The pain is unbearable. │

│ Point 6 : [item] easing │

│ [sent] The pain is starting to ease. │

│ Point 7 : [item] improving │

│ [sent] The pain is improving. │

│ Return base : [item] pain-free │

│ [sent] The pain is gone. │

│ SECTION 5 — LOCATION TAGS │

│ Primary : Body (general) │

│ Secondary : Medical setting / home / sports │

│ Transitional : — (pain is a bodily state, not a │

│ travelling concept) │

│ SECTION 6 — RELATIONS │

│ Concept group : Bodily — comfort and pain │

│ Variants : — │

│ Siblings : Physical comfort · Nausea · Tension │

│ Related concepts : Severity of illness · Medical urgency │

│ Extends : — │

│ SECTION 7 — LANGUAGE PAIRS │

│ Available : EN-DE │

│ Requested : EN-ID / EN-JA │

│ Divergence flag : Y │

│ Divergence note : Pain description vocabulary varies │

│ significantly across languages and cultures. │

│ Check cultural pain expression norms. │

│ SECTION 8 — ADMINISTRATION │

│ Status : Pending (awaiting ITGCV template) │

│ Created by : Library (editorial) │

│ Date created : 2026-05-21 │

│ Date last updated : 2026-05-21 │

│ Notes : Full card activates when ITGCV is built │

```

---

### EXAMPLE 4 — Language divergence card (meta-concept)

```

│ META-CONCEPT │

│ Concept ID : MC-0031 │

│ Concept name : Clothing — putting on / wearing / removing │

│ Note : This meta-concept expresses differently │

│ across languages. See language-specific │

│ cards below. │

│ │

│ English : 1 card (CC-0031-EN) │

│ All clothing: put on / wear / take off │

│ │

│ Japanese : 4 cards │

│ CC-0031-JA-A Upper body: 着る / 着ている / 脱ぐ │

│ CC-0031-JA-B Lower body / feet: 履く / 履いている / 脱ぐ │

│ CC-0031-JA-C Head: 被る / 被っている / 脱ぐ │

│ CC-0031-JA-D Accessories: する・つける / している / はずす │

│ │

│ German : 1 card (CC-0031-DE) │

│ Indonesian : 1 card (CC-0031-ID) │

```

Individual language-specific cards (e.g. CC-0031-JA-A) each carry a full

concept card structure with their own template positions, location tags,

and vocabulary layer — linked back to MC-0031 as their meta-concept.

---

### EXAMPLE 5 — Collocation Mode card

```

│ SECTION 1 — IDENTIFICATION │

│ Concept ID : CC-0301 │

│ Concept name : Adverbs of degree │

│ Concept group : Quantitative — degree and intensity │

│ Meta-concept link : — │

│ SECTION 2 — TAXONOMY │

│ Super-category : Quantitative / Linguistic-Communicative │

│ Sub-category : Adverbs of degree │

│ Shape : Positive gradient (with excess past peak) │

│ SECTION 3 — TEMPLATE ASSIGNMENT │

│ Primary template : Diagonal Line Up / GTCV (full scale) │

│ Secondary template: — │

│ Assignment cond. : Diagonal for simple gradient (not at all │

│ → extremely); GTCV when excess included │

│ Mode(s) : Collocation │

│ Collocation frames: [adverb] + [adjective] │

│ [adverb] + [adverb] │

│ not + [adjective] + enough │

│ too + [adjective] │

│ SECTION 4 — TEMPLATE POSITIONS │

│ Point 1 : [item] not at all │

│ [sent] It is not at all cold. │

│ Point 2 : [item] barely / slightly │

│ [sent] It is slightly cold. │

│ Point 3 : [item] somewhat / quite │

│ [sent] It is quite cold. │

│ Point 4 : [item] very │

│ [sent] It is very cold. │

│ Point 5 : [item] extremely │

│ [sent] It is extremely cold. │

│ Peak / excess: [item] too │

│ [sent] It is too cold. (implies a problem) │

│ │

│ Note: [adjective] is substitutable. The frame is the teaching │

│ target; the adjective is a vehicle for demonstrating the frame. │

│ SECTION 5 — LOCATION TAGS │

│ Primary : All locations (functional grammar) │

│ Secondary : — │

│ SECTION 6 — RELATIONS │

│ Concept group : Quantitative — degree and intensity │

│ Variants : Many — any adjective can be substituted │

│ Siblings : Sufficiency · Comparatives and superlatives │

│ Related concepts : Sensory intensity · Emotional intensity │

│ Extends : — │

│ SECTION 7 — LANGUAGE PAIRS │

│ Available : EN-DE / EN-ID │

│ Requested : EN-JA │

│ Divergence flag : Y │

│ Divergence note : Japanese degree expressions differ │

│ structurally. Position and particle usage │

│ varies significantly from English frame. │

│ SECTION 8 — ADMINISTRATION │

│ Status : Library │

│ Created by : Library (editorial) │

│ Date created : 2026-05-21 │

│ Date last updated : 2026-05-21 │

│ Notes : Adjective slot uses 'cold' as default │

│ demonstration item. Any adjective may be │

│ substituted by the learner or educator. │

```

---

## How the AI Request Pathway Uses the Concept Card

When a learner searches for a concept not in the library, the AI:

```

1. Receives the learner's concept description

2. Maps it to the taxonomy:

Super-category → Sub-category → Shape

3. Applies the template selection logic to recommend a template

4. Suggests location tags based on the concept

5. Checks for duplicate or near-duplicate existing cards

6. If novel: generates a draft concept card (Sections 1–6)

and marks Status: AI-generated

7. Populates vocabulary positions in the requested language pair

8. Presents to the learner

9. Card is queued for editorial review before entering the Library

```

---

## Notes on the Status Field

| Status | Meaning |

|---|---|

| **Library** | Editorially reviewed; vocabulary loaded; available to all learners |

| **AI-generated** | Created by AI on learner request; awaiting editorial review |

| **Pending** | Card structure complete but awaiting a proposed template to be built |

| **Requested** | Concept identified but card not yet created |