Syntax Glossary

An optional modifier that adds extra information to a phrase but is not required by the head.

A grammatical phenomenon where one word changes form to match features (person, number, gender) of another word.

A linguistic expression (like 'himself' or 'each other') that must find its antecedent within a local syntactic domain.

A set of syntactic principles governing the referential relationships between noun phrases, pronouns, and anaphors.

A structural relation where node A c-commands node B if A does not dominate B and every node dominating A also dominates B.

A syntactic unit containing a subject and a predicate, which may be independent (main clause) or dependent (subordinate clause).

A phrase required by the head of a construction to complete its meaning.

A functional word (such as 'that,' 'whether,' 'if') that introduces a subordinate clause.

The grouping of words into structural units that behave as single blocks for syntactic operations.

In transformational grammar, the abstract underlying syntactic representation of a sentence before transformations apply.

A syntactic framework that represents structure through directed head-dependent relations between individual words.

A word (such as 'the,' 'a,' 'this,' 'every') that specifies the reference of a noun phrase.

A theory positing that a finite set of rules can generate the infinite set of grammatical sentences in a language.

A syntactic function such as subject, direct object, or indirect object, defined by structural position.

The central word of a phrase that determines its syntactic category and grammatical properties.

The fundamental operation in the Minimalist Program that combines two syntactic objects into a larger constituent.

Chomsky's framework seeking to reduce syntactic theory to the minimal operations necessary: Merge and Move.

A phrase headed by a noun or pronoun that can serve as the subject or object of a clause.

The process of analyzing a string of words to determine its syntactic structure according to a grammar.

The hierarchical organization of words into nested phrases, represented by tree diagrams or bracketed notation.

The property of syntactic rules that allows a structure to contain an instance of the same type within itself.

A constituent occupying the position at the edge of a phrase, such as a determiner in a noun phrase or a subject in a sentence.

The final form of a sentence as it is actually spoken or written, after all transformations have applied.

A semantic role (Agent, Patient, Theme, Experiencer, etc.) assigned by a predicate to its arguments.

The hypothesized set of innate linguistic principles and parameters that constrain the possible grammars of all human languages.