Luo: from Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics

2008-04-23T13:31:29Z

from Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics

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In generative syntax, '''checking theory''' is a notion in the [[Minimalist Program]].

===Example===

''[TP John T [vP tJohn likes Mary]''

In the example, movement of ''John'' to spec,T deletes the uninterpretable phi-features of ''likes''; the phi-features of ''likes'' are checked by ''John''.

===Comments===
Checking theory attempts to link two apparent 'imperfections' of human language: the existence of LF-uninterpretable features in lexical items, and [[movement]]. Movement of an element A with feature F to the [[checking domain]] of an element B with a matching ([[uninterpretable]]) feature F', deletes the uninterpretable feature F' in B. If F in A is uninterpretable, F is also deleted.

[[Chomsky]] (1995) argues that under checking theory, the existence of movement can be understood as the way in which the computational system tries to satisfy the interface requirement of [[full interpretation]]: movement is needed to get rid of uninterpretable features.

Chomsky (1998, 1999) takes a different view on the relation between feature checking and movement; there, movement is supposed to exist independently, for functional reasons, and [[feature checking]] is considered to be one of the mechanisms that can implement movement.

===Link===
[http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Checking+theory&lemmacode=1559 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics]

===References===
*{{: Chomsky 1995}}
*{{: Chomsky 1998}}
*{{: Chomsky 1999}}

{{dc}}
[[Category:Syntax]]

Checking theory - Revision history

Luo: from Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics