Domain (Syntax)

Domain is in checking theory the domain of a head A is the set of nodes contained in Max(A) that are distinct from and do not contain A.

Example

in (i) the domain of X (a head) is the set of nodes UP, ZP, WP, YP, and H and whatever these categories dominate. XP₁, XP₂, X', X₁ and X₂ are not included in the domain of X, since each of these nodes contain X, and X is not distinct from X.

       XP1
       /\
      /  \
     UP  XP2
        /\
       /  \
     ZP1    X'
    /\      /\
   /  \    /  \
  WP  ZP2  X1  YP
          /\
         /  \
        H   X2
 
 

Also see Binding domain, Governing domain, C-command.

Link

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).