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Deriving Condition A

Deriving Condition A
Deriving Condition A
This paper advances a reinterpretation of Condition A of the classical binding theory. This approach, based on the application of operations in the computational component of the grammar, is consistent with the methodological constraints imposed by the Minimalist Programme (Chomsky 1993, 1995b), and crucially makes use of the theory of computational operations outlined in arguably its most successful implementation to date (Chomsky 2000, 2001). It is suggested that, provided certain assumptions can be made concerning the feature specification of anaphors, Condition A is entirely reducible to an operation of feature-agreement, a conclusion which has intriguing implications for the theory of syntactically active feature types in the current framework. Furthermore, the previously stipulated local binding domain (‘governing category’) is correctly predicted to correspond to the ‘phase’, the core syntactic domain employed in recent versions of Minimalism. The analysis is extended to capture some problematic empirical phenomena in English, including the behaviour of anaphors embedded within complex DPs (‘picture-DPs’).
anaphors, binding theory, condition a, minimalism
1758-0315
91-131
Hicks, Glyn
1f3753b1-1224-4cd3-8af3-5bf708062831
Hicks, Glyn
1f3753b1-1224-4cd3-8af3-5bf708062831

Hicks, Glyn (2005) Deriving Condition A. York Papers in Linguistics, 3 (series 2), 91-131.

Record type: Article

Abstract

This paper advances a reinterpretation of Condition A of the classical binding theory. This approach, based on the application of operations in the computational component of the grammar, is consistent with the methodological constraints imposed by the Minimalist Programme (Chomsky 1993, 1995b), and crucially makes use of the theory of computational operations outlined in arguably its most successful implementation to date (Chomsky 2000, 2001). It is suggested that, provided certain assumptions can be made concerning the feature specification of anaphors, Condition A is entirely reducible to an operation of feature-agreement, a conclusion which has intriguing implications for the theory of syntactically active feature types in the current framework. Furthermore, the previously stipulated local binding domain (‘governing category’) is correctly predicted to correspond to the ‘phase’, the core syntactic domain employed in recent versions of Minimalism. The analysis is extended to capture some problematic empirical phenomena in English, including the behaviour of anaphors embedded within complex DPs (‘picture-DPs’).

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More information

Published date: April 2005
Keywords: anaphors, binding theory, condition a, minimalism

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 64786
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/64786
ISSN: 1758-0315
PURE UUID: 6a1af0da-37a6-4e76-b391-862d394d2bdd
ORCID for Glyn Hicks: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4126-8655

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 16 Jan 2009
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:56

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