Difference between revisions of "Superiority condition"
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| − | '''Superiority condition''' is a condition on the application of [[transformation]]s, which states that, if a transformation can in principle be applied to two [[constituent]]s in the structure, it has to be applied to the one that is [[superior]]. The formal definition (from Chomsky (1973)) is as follows: | + | ==Definition== |
| + | '''Superiority condition''' is a condition on the application of [[transformation]]s, which states that, if a transformation can in principle be applied to two [[constituent]]s in the structure, it has to be applied to the one that is [[superiority|superior]]. The formal definition (from Chomsky (1973)) is as follows: | ||
No rule can involve X,Y in the structure | No rule can involve X,Y in the structure | ||
| Line 6: | Line 7: | ||
and Z is superior to Y | and Z is superior to Y | ||
| − | + | == Example == | |
| − | + | Given that [[wh-movement]] can apply only once in deriving the [[s-structure]] of a sentence, the superiority condition predicts that in structure (i) ''what'' cannot be moved: ''who'' is superior to ''what''. The contrast in (ii) shows this prediction to be correct. | |
| − | |||
(i) S' | (i) S' | ||
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b *(I wonder) what who saw | b *(I wonder) what who saw | ||
| − | + | == Links == | |
| − | + | *[http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Superiority+condition&lemmacode=298 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics] | |
| − | [http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Superiority+condition&lemmacode=298 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics] | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| + | == References == | ||
* Chomsky, N. 1993. ''A Minimalist Program for Linguistic Theory,'' MIT occasional papers in linguistics, 1-67. Reprinted in: Chomsky (1995). | * Chomsky, N. 1993. ''A Minimalist Program for Linguistic Theory,'' MIT occasional papers in linguistics, 1-67. Reprinted in: Chomsky (1995). | ||
* Chomsky, N. 1986b. ''Barriers,'' MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. | * Chomsky, N. 1986b. ''Barriers,'' MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. | ||
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[[Category:Syntax]] | [[Category:Syntax]] | ||
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Latest revision as of 08:16, 16 August 2014
Definition
Superiority condition is a condition on the application of transformations, which states that, if a transformation can in principle be applied to two constituents in the structure, it has to be applied to the one that is superior. The formal definition (from Chomsky (1973)) is as follows:
No rule can involve X,Y in the structure ...X...[...Z...-WYV...]... where the rule applies ambiguously to Z and Y and Z is superior to Y
Example
Given that wh-movement can apply only once in deriving the s-structure of a sentence, the superiority condition predicts that in structure (i) what cannot be moved: who is superior to what. The contrast in (ii) shows this prediction to be correct.
(i) S'
/ \
COMP S
/ \
NP VP
| / \
who V NP
| |
saw what
(ii) a (I wonder) who saw what
b *(I wonder) what who saw
Links
References
- Chomsky, N. 1993. A Minimalist Program for Linguistic Theory, MIT occasional papers in linguistics, 1-67. Reprinted in: Chomsky (1995).
- Chomsky, N. 1986b. Barriers, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.
- Chomsky, N. 1973. Conditions on transformations, in: S.R. Anderson & P. Kiparsky, A festschrift for Morris Halle, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.
- Lasnik, H. and M. Saito 1992. Move alpha: conditions on its application and output, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.
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