Dynamic antisymmetry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Antisymmetry is a theory of syntactic linearization presented in Richard Kayne's 1994 monograph The Antisymmetry of Syntax. The crux of this theory is that hierarchical structure in natural language maps universally onto a particular surface linearization, namely specifier-head-complement branching order. The theory derives a version of X-bar theory a formal theory of phrase structure in transformational generative grammar. Kayne hypothesises that all phrases whose surface order is not specifier-head-complement have undergone movements which disrupt this underlying order. Subsequently, there have also been attempts at deriving specifier-complement-head as the basic word order. Technically, this theory relies on the so called Linear Correspondence Axiom or LCA. Simplifying, according to the LCA, a word W precedes a word W' if and only if W is contained in a node Q that asymmetrically c-commands a node R containing W'. It follows that there cannot be two node that mutually c-command each other, unless at either one contains another node, otherwise the words which are contained in the two nodes could not be linearized.

Dynamic Antisymmetry is a weak version of the theory of antisymmetry developed by Andrea Moro and allows the generation of non-LCA compatible structures (points of symmetry) before the hierarchical structure is linearized at Phonetic Form. The unwanted structures are then rescued by movement: deleting the phonetic content of the moved element would neutralize the linearization problem. From this perspective, Dynamic Antisymmetry aims at unifying movement and phrase structure which would otherwise two independent properties that characterize all and only human language grammars.

[edit] References

Kayne, Richard S. (1994). The Antisymmetry of Syntax. Linguistic Inquiry Monograph 25, MIT Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Moro, A. 2000 Dynamic Antisymmetry, Linguistic Inquiry Monograph Series 38, MIT press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.