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Where Does Binding Theory Apply?

Online ISBN:
9780262255332
Print ISBN:
9780262012904
Publisher:
The MIT Press
Book

Where Does Binding Theory Apply?

Published:
13 February 2009
Online ISBN:
9780262255332
Print ISBN:
9780262012904
Publisher:
The MIT Press

Abstract

This wide-ranging book examines where the conditions of binding theory apply and in doing so considers the nature of phrase structure (in particular how case and theta roles apply) and the nature of the lexical/functional split. It begins with a revised formulation of binding theory. The book reexamines Chomsky’s conjecture that all conditions apply at the interfaces, in particular LF (or Logical Form), and argues instead that all negative conditions, in particular Condition C, apply continuously throughout the derivation. He draws a distinction between positive and negative conditions, which have different privileges of occurrence according to the architecture of the grammar. Negative conditions, the book finds, apply homogeneously throughout the derivation; positive conditions apply solely at LF. A hole in Condition C then forces a reconsideration of the whole architecture of the grammar. The book finds that case and theta representations are split apart and are only fused at later points in the derivation, after movement has applied. This exploration of the relationship between case and theta theory reveals a relationship of greater subtlety and importance than is generally assumed.

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