Foundations of Syntactic Theory

Foundations of Syntactic Theory

1. The Role of Syntax in Generativist Approach

   • Under the Generative Grammar approach, syntax has been given the central role in the linguistic system
   • FHL
     • F=form s=sounds m=meanings
     • Internal system
       • Linguistic systems
     • External system
       • Used by Faculty of Human Language
         • Not specifically linguistic
         • Lexicon
           • Part of semantic memory
         • sensorio-motor system
           • Responsible for articulation and phonological realization of speech sounds
         • Conceptual-intentional system
           • responsible for semantic interpretation of sentences formed by syntax
   • Language --> Syntax=F(s,m)

2. Y-model

   • The model represents the syntactic derivation as a bottom-up unidirectional process that at a certain point (S-structure) splits into two parallel processes
   • Lexicon
     • Syntactic derivation starts in the lexicon, a specialized part of the semantic memory that stores concepts along with their corresponding grammatical features. 
     • D-Structure
       • Lexical insertion
       • S-structure
         • Phonological form (sound)
           • This level of representation is legible by the sensory-motor systems so that the S-structure can be transferred to it and converted into speech sounds. 
         • Logical Form (meaning)
           • the derivation moves on from the S-structure to the LF by applying move-α again. 
           • Since the LF is independent from the PF, the effects of move-α are not visible
           • Covert movement
             • Takes lexical items from lexicon as input and inserts them at D-structure
         • Modules that conform the grammar
           • Case Theory
             • Accounts for the licensing of nominal items with phonological realization
           • Binding Theory
             • Accounts for the referential and anaphoric interpretation of nominal items (pronominals, anaphors, and R-expressions)
           • Control Theory
             • Which accounts for the interpretation of the pronominal anaphor PRO, the only nominal item that escapes Binding Theory
           • Bounding Theory
       • Move alpha
         • Moves a constituent from its original place to another new and leaves a trace in the original place

3. Minimalist Program

   • Necessity of reducing the theoretical machinery of the Generative Grammar by applying Occam's razor to linguistic theory. 
   • The only levels that make sense are those that interface with the external systems, i.e. the PF and LF.
   • Intermediate levels are disposed of. The D-structure and S-structure disappear from the model
   • Lexicon
     • Logical Form (meaning)
       • C-I System
     • Phonological Form (sound)
       • S-M System

4. Review of "English Syntax"

   • Structure of the clause
     • AgrS
     • AgrO
       • Selects the whole VP as complement and assigns accusative Case to the object when it moves to [Spec, AgrS]. Since English is non-pro-drop language, the subject has to further move up to [Spec, TP]
       • All verbs in English move to AgrO and then up to AgrS, so that the basic word order is SVO.
   • Government
     • Government
       • node A governs node B if A c-commands B, and there is no node G, such that G is commanded by A and G c-commands B.
     • Phrase-government
       • if A is a phrase, then the categories that count for G in the definition of government must also be phrases. 
     • Head-government
       • if A is a head (word), then the categories that count for G in the definition of government must also be heads.
   • Binding Theory
     • Deixis
       • Deictics
     • Reference
       • R-Expressions
         • an NP gets its meaning by referring to an entity in the world
     • Anaphora/Cataphora
       • Anaphor
         • an NP that obligatorily gets its meaning from another NP in the sentence
         • Reflexive
         • Reciprocal
       • Pronominal
         • an NP that may (but need not) get its meaning from another NP in the sentence
     • Binding Theory
       • Principle A
         • an Anaphor must be bound in its binding domain
       • Principle B
         • A pronoun must be free in its binding domain
       • Principle C
         • an R-Expression must be free
   • Bounding Theory
   • Control Theory
   • Topicalization and scrambling
     • Topicalization: an alteration of the information structure of the clause. Most of the times it involves a kind of movement as it can be attested in languages such as Spanish, Dutch, English, German
     • Scrambling: a kind of movement that seems to have very little semantic effect