Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
Binding Theory
PS Syntax
Daniel Daimler
16.12.2002
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
deals with the distribution of different NPs in a sentence
(Carnie 2002)
regulates NP interpretation
(Haegemann 1994)
Binding Theory covers both syntactic and semantic aspects
of NP discussion!
Binding...
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
I.
Different types of NPs : semantic references
II.
C-Command : a structural relation
III.
Binding Principles : NP distribution
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
(1) Sean drinks a lot of beer.
R-expression: An NP gets its meaning by referring to an entity
in the world.
I. Different Types of Nps : semantic references
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
(2) Sean got himself a crate of beer as birthday present.
Anaphor: An NP that obligatorily gets its meaning from another
NP in the sentence.
· reflexives: himself, herself, themself, myself
· reciprocals: each other
I. Different Types of Nps : semantic references
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
(3) Sean said that he played pinball.
Pronoun: An NP that may ( but need not) get its meaning from
another word in the sentence.
· Sean said that Sean played pinball.
· Sean said that Bob played pinball.
I. Different Types of Nps : semantic references
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
(4) Sean got himself a crate of beer as birthday present.
Antecedent: An NP that gives its meaning to a pronoun or anaphor
Antecedent
Anaphor
I. Different Types of Nps : semantic references
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
Coindexiation: Two Nps are said to be coindexed, if they refer to
the same entity in the world and thus have the same
index.
(5) Sean
i
said that he
i
played pinball
j
.
(6) Sean
i
said that he
j
played pinball
k
with Linda
l
.
(7) Sean
i
got himself
i
a crate of beer
j
.
(8) * Sean
i
got himself
j
a crate of beer
k
.
I. Different Types of Nps : semantic references
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
I. Different Types of Nps : semantic references
(9) [Sean
i
´s brother]
j
got himself
j
a crate of beer
k
.
(10) * [Sean
i
´s brother]
j
got himself
i
a crate of beer
k
.
(11) * Himself
i
got Sean
i
a crate of beer
k
.
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
I. Different Types of Nps : semantic references
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
I. Different Types of Nps : semantic references
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
Node X c-commands node Y, if every branching node dominating
X also dominates Y, and neither X nor Y dominate the other.
C-Command : a structural relation
II. C-Command : a structural relation
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
II. C-Command : a structural relation
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
The antecedent must c-command the anaphor, not the reverse!
II. C-Command : a structural relation
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
Definition Binding
The antecedent X binds the anaphor or pronoun Y
if and only if
X c-commands Y and
X and Y are coindexed.
III. Binding Principles : NP distribution
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
Binding Principle A
An anaphor must be bound in its binding domain (i.e. the
same clause).
* [Sean
i
´s brother]
j
got himself
i
a crate of beer.
* Sean
i
said that himself
i
played pinball.
The distribution of anaphors
III. Binding Principles : NP distribution
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
Binding Principle B
A pronoun must be free (i.e. not bound) in its binding domain.
* Sean
i
got him
i
a crate of beer.
The distribution of pronouns
III. Binding Principles : NP distribution
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
Binding Principle C
An R-expression must be free (i.e. cannot be bound at all).
* She
i
said that Linda
i
was a pinball queen.
The distribution of R-expressions
III. Binding Principles : NP distribution
Philipps-Universität Marburg
English Linguistics
That´s it!
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