diff --git a/tamer/src/asg/graph.rs b/tamer/src/asg/graph.rs
index ca849ef3..ed74b253 100644
--- a/tamer/src/asg/graph.rs
+++ b/tamer/src/asg/graph.rs
@@ -209,13 +209,13 @@ impl Asg {
         &mut self,
         from_oi: OA,
         to_oi: ObjectIndex<OB>,
-        ctx_span: Option<Span>,
+        ref_span: Option<Span>,
     ) -> Result<(), AsgError> {
-        from_oi.pre_add_edge(self, to_oi, ctx_span, |asg| {
+        from_oi.pre_add_edge(self, to_oi, ref_span, |asg| {
             asg.graph.add_edge(
                 from_oi.widen().into(),
                 to_oi.into(),
-                (from_oi.src_rel_ty(), OB::rel_ty(), ctx_span),
+                (from_oi.src_rel_ty(), OB::rel_ty(), ref_span),
             );
         })
     }
@@ -333,14 +333,14 @@ impl Asg {
         oi: ObjectIndex<Object>,
     ) -> impl Iterator<Item = DynObjectRel> + 'a {
         self.graph.edges(oi.into()).map(move |edge| {
-            let (src_ty, target_ty, ctx_span) = edge.weight();
+            let (src_ty, target_ty, ref_span) = edge.weight();
 
             DynObjectRel::new(
                 *src_ty,
                 *target_ty,
                 oi,
                 ObjectIndex::<Object>::new(edge.target(), oi),
-                *ctx_span,
+                *ref_span,
             )
         })
     }
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ impl<OA: ObjectRelatable, OB: ObjectRelatable> AsgRelMut<OB> for OA {
 pub struct ProposedRel<OA: ObjectKind, OB: ObjectKind> {
     from_oi: ObjectIndex<OA>,
     to_oi: ObjectIndex<OB>,
-    ctx_span: Option<Span>,
+    ref_span: Option<Span>,
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/tamer/src/asg/graph/object/rel.rs b/tamer/src/asg/graph/object/rel.rs
index 4a19b8f9..4c2390ed 100644
--- a/tamer/src/asg/graph/object/rel.rs
+++ b/tamer/src/asg/graph/object/rel.rs
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ macro_rules! object_rel {
     //     on its own;
     //       an edge only needs supplemental span information if there is
     //       another context in which that object is referenced.
-    (@is_cross_edge dyn $rel:ident)  => { $rel.ctx_span().is_some() };
+    (@is_cross_edge dyn $rel:ident)  => { $rel.ref_span().is_some() };
 
     // Similar to above but providing _static_ information to the type
     //   system.
@@ -234,9 +234,9 @@ impl<S, T> DynObjectRel<S, T> {
         to_ty: ObjectRelTy,
         src: S,
         target: T,
-        ctx_span: Option<Span>,
+        ref_span: Option<Span>,
     ) -> Self {
-        Self((from_ty, to_ty), (src, target), ctx_span)
+        Self((from_ty, to_ty), (src, target), ref_span)
     }
 
     /// The type of the source edge.
@@ -270,12 +270,16 @@ impl<S, T> DynObjectRel<S, T> {
         }
     }
 
-    /// A [`Span`] associated with the _relationship_ between the source and
-    ///   target objects,
-    ///     if any.
-    pub fn ctx_span(&self) -> Option<Span> {
+    /// A [`Span`] representing the reference location of a relationship.
+    ///
+    /// This value indicates that the edge represents a cross edge.
+    /// In this case,
+    ///   a separate span is needed to provide information about the source
+    ///   location of the reference,
+    ///     rather than the object that has been referenced.
+    pub fn ref_span(&self) -> Option<Span> {
         match self {
-            Self(_, _, ctx_span) => *ctx_span,
+            Self(_, _, ref_span) => *ref_span,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -486,7 +490,7 @@ impl<S, T, U, V> Map<(S, T), (U, V)> for DynObjectRel<S, T> {
 
     fn map(self, f: impl FnOnce((S, T)) -> (U, V)) -> Self::Target {
         match self {
-            Self(tys, x, ctx_span) => DynObjectRel(tys, f(x), ctx_span),
+            Self(tys, x, ref_span) => DynObjectRel(tys, f(x), ref_span),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -863,7 +867,7 @@ pub trait ObjectIndexRelTo<OB: ObjectRelatable>: Sized + Clone + Copy {
         &self,
         asg: &mut Asg,
         to_oi: ObjectIndex<OB>,
-        ctx_span: Option<Span>,
+        ref_span: Option<Span>,
         commit: impl FnOnce(&mut Asg),
     ) -> Result<(), AsgError>;
 
@@ -947,7 +951,7 @@ where
         &self,
         asg: &mut Asg,
         to_oi: ObjectIndex<OB>,
-        ctx_span: Option<Span>,
+        ref_span: Option<Span>,
         commit: impl FnOnce(&mut Asg),
     ) -> Result<(), AsgError> {
         O::pre_add_edge(
@@ -955,7 +959,7 @@ where
             ProposedRel {
                 from_oi: self.widen().must_narrow_into::<O>(),
                 to_oi,
-                ctx_span,
+                ref_span,
             },
             commit,
         )
@@ -977,7 +981,7 @@ impl<OB: ObjectRelatable> ObjectIndexRelTo<OB> for ObjectIndexTo<OB> {
         &self,
         asg: &mut Asg,
         to_oi: ObjectIndex<OB>,
-        ctx_span: Option<Span>,
+        ref_span: Option<Span>,
         commit: impl FnOnce(&mut Asg),
     ) -> Result<(), AsgError> {
         macro_rules! pre_add_edge {
@@ -987,7 +991,7 @@ impl<OB: ObjectRelatable> ObjectIndexRelTo<OB> for ObjectIndexTo<OB> {
                     ProposedRel {
                         from_oi: self.widen().must_narrow_into::<$ty>(),
                         to_oi,
-                        ctx_span,
+                        ref_span,
                     },
                     commit,
                 )
@@ -1023,11 +1027,11 @@ impl<OB: ObjectRelatable> ObjectIndexRelTo<OB> for ObjectIndexToTree<OB> {
         &self,
         asg: &mut Asg,
         to_oi: ObjectIndex<OB>,
-        ctx_span: Option<Span>,
+        ref_span: Option<Span>,
         commit: impl FnOnce(&mut Asg),
     ) -> Result<(), AsgError> {
         match self {
-            Self(oito) => oito.pre_add_edge(asg, to_oi, ctx_span, commit),
+            Self(oito) => oito.pre_add_edge(asg, to_oi, ref_span, commit),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/tamer/src/asg/graph/object/tpl.rs b/tamer/src/asg/graph/object/tpl.rs
index 78f34580..f9eef9ed 100644
--- a/tamer/src/asg/graph/object/tpl.rs
+++ b/tamer/src/asg/graph/object/tpl.rs
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ object_rel! {
             ) -> Result<(), AsgError> {
                 let tpl_name = rel.from_oi.name(asg);
 
-                match (rel.ctx_span, rel.to_oi.definition(asg)) {
+                match (rel.ref_span, rel.to_oi.definition(asg)) {
                     // Missing definition results in shape uncertainty that
                     //   will have to be resolved when (if) a definition
                     //   becomes available.
diff --git a/tamer/src/asg/graph/visit/ontree.rs b/tamer/src/asg/graph/visit/ontree.rs
index e6d6517b..afa03608 100644
--- a/tamer/src/asg/graph/visit/ontree.rs
+++ b/tamer/src/asg/graph/visit/ontree.rs
@@ -313,10 +313,10 @@ impl Token for TreeWalkRel {
     ///     while concrete spans are stored on the objects that those
     ///     relationships reference.
     /// This will return a potentially-useful span only if the inner
-    ///   [`DynObjectRel::ctx_span`] does.
+    ///   [`DynObjectRel::ref_span`] does.
     fn span(&self) -> Span {
         match self {
-            Self(dyn_rel, _) => dyn_rel.ctx_span().unwrap_or(UNKNOWN_SPAN),
+            Self(dyn_rel, _) => dyn_rel.ref_span().unwrap_or(UNKNOWN_SPAN),
         }
     }
 }