Language Structure : Syntax CHAP 4

Branch

a line connecting two parts of a tree

Node

the end of a branch

Label

the name given to a node (N, NP, TP, etc.)

(Proper) Domination

Node A dominates node B if and only if A is higher up in the tree than B and if you can trace a branch from A to B going only downwards.

Immediate Domination

Node A immediately dominates node B if there is no intervening node G that is dominated by A, but dominates B. (in other words, A is the first node that dominates B)

Mother

A is the ____ of B if A immediately dominates B

Daughter

B is the ____ of A if B is immediately dominated by A.

Sisters

Two nodes that share the same mother.

Root node

The node that dominates everything, but is dominated by nothing. (The node that is no node’s daughter.)

Terminal Node

A node that dominates nothing. (A node that is not a mother)

Non-terminal Node

A node that dominates something.

(A node that is a mother)

Exhaustive Domination

Node A exhaustively dominates a set of terminal nodes {B,C,…., D} provided it dominates all the members of the set (so that there is no member of the set that is not dominated by A) and there is no terminal node G dominated by A that is not a member of the set.

Constituent

A set of terminal nodes exhaustively dominated by a particular node

Constituent of

A is a constituent of B if and only if B dominates A.

Immediate Constituent of

A is an immediate constituent of B if and only if B immediately dominates A

Sister Precedence

Node A sister-precedes node B if and only if both are immediately dominated by the same node, and A appears to the left of B.

Precedence

Node A precedes node B if and only if neither A dominates B nor B dominates A, and A or some node dominating A sister precedes B or some node dominating B.

No Crossing Branches Constraint

If node X precedes another node Y then X and all nodes dominated by X must precede Y and all nodes dominated by Y.

Immediate Precedence

A immediately precedes B if there is no node G that follows A but precedes B.

C-Command

(informal) A node c-commands its sisters and all the daughters of its sisters.
(formal) Node A c-commands node B if every node dominating A also dominates B and neither A nor B dominates the other.

Symmetric C-command

A symmetrically c-commands B if A c-commands B and B c-commands A.

Asymmetric C-command

A asymmetrically c-commands B if A c-commands B but B does not c-command A.

Government

Node A governs node B if A c-commands B, and there is no node G such that G is c-commanded by A and H asymmetrically c-commands B.

Phrase-government

If A is a phrase, then the categories that count of G in the above definition must also be heads.

Head-governement

If A is a head (word), then the categories that count for G in the above definition must also be heads.

Subject

NP or CP daughter of TP

Object of Preposition

NP daughter of PP

Direct Object

• With verbs of type V(NP_NP), V(NP_CP) and V(NP_NP PP), the NP or CP daughter of VP.

  • With verbs of type V(NP_NP(NP/CP)), an NP or CP daughter of VP that is preceded by an NP daughter of VP.

Indirect Object

• With verbs of type V'(NP_NP (NP/PP)), the PP daughter of VP immediately preceded by an NP daughter of VP.

  • With verbs of type V(NP_NP(NP/CP)), the NP daughter of VP immediately preceded by V(the first NP daughter of VP)

Oblique

Any NP/PP in the sentence that is not a subject, direct object of a preposition, direct object or indirect object