Subjacency

<h2 id="the-subjacency-condition-in-examples">The subjacency condition in examples</h2>
<p>The notion of bounding was first observed in the early <a href="/facts/Generative_grammar/Pm1AMX5U">generative grammar</a> by, for instance, <a href="/facts/John_R._Ross/Wldk7Kto">John R. Ross</a> (1967). He noticed that movement is impossible out of certain phrases called <a href="/facts/Extraction_island/tfuKadbm">Extraction islands</a>. This evidence was further interpreted in terms of the <a href="/facts/Government_and_Binding_Theory/2DTpSetS">Government and Binding Theory</a> and Subjacency condition in the following way:
</p><p>(1) whoi did [AGRP Bill think [CP ti [AGRP John saw ti ]]]
</p><p>(2) *whoi did [AGRP John ask [CP whenj [AGRP ti fixed the car tj ]]]
</p><p>(3) *whoi did [AGRP John believe [DP the statement [CP ti that [AGRP Bill hit ti ]]]]<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
</p><p>In (1) the <i><a href="/facts/Wh-word/UuJYcnzQ">wh</a></i>-element moves out of the object position of the <a href="/facts/Embedded_clause/Jj1or7BL">embedded clause</a> via cyclic movement, crossing only one AgrP at a time. Thereby, it respects the Subjacency condition and the sentence is grammatical. The details of this movement are presented in the diagram below:
</p><p>(1)

</p><p>As the <a href="/facts/Specifier_(linguistics)/MTA0KqMA">specifier</a> of CP position is empty in (1), the <i>wh</i>-element may use it as an escape hatch before moving further. In the example (2), on the other hand, the <a href="/facts/Specifier_(linguistics)/MTA0KqMA">specifier</a> of CP position is already taken and the <i>wh</i>-element moves over two AgrP at a time, violating the Subjacency condition and yielding the ungrammatical sentence.
</p>
<h2 id="notes">Notes</h2>

<ul><li>Chomsky, Noam. 1973. "<a href="/facts/Conditions_on_Transformations/xVXxPPFK">Conditions on Transformations</a>". In: S. Anderson and P. Kiparsky (eds.). A Festschrift for Morris Halle. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 232-286.</li>
<li>Chomsky, Noam. 1977. Essays on form and interpretation. New York: North-Holland.</li>
<li>Chomsky, Noam. 1981. <a href="/facts/Lectures_on_Government_and_Binding:_The_Pisa_Lectures/xtMWVYFy">Lectures on Government and Binding: The Pisa Lectures</a>. Dordrecht: Foris Publications.</li>
<li>Cook, Vivian J. and Mark Newson. 2007. <i><a href="/facts/Chomsky%27s_Universal_Grammar:_An_Introduction/rMLo3v1d">Chomsky's Universal Grammar: An Introduction</a></i>. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.</li>
<li>Ross, John R. 1967. Constraints on variables in syntax. [Published doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology].</li>
<li>Ross, John R. 1986. Infinite syntax!. Norwood, NJ: ABLEX.</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>(Chomsky 1977: 73) <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>For more examples see Cook and Newson (2007). <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Subjacency open-in-new

Subjacency