Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics.pdf

Dictionary of language and linguistics 360Innis, R.E. (trans.) 1982. Karl Bühler: semiotic foundations of language theory. New York.empty category principle (abbrev. ECP)A principle of transformational grammar by which traces ( trace theory) must bevisible, i.e. they must be identifiable as empty positions in the surface structure, similarto the principle of reconstruction for deletion. Thus an empty category is in a positionsubcategorized for by a verb. In Government and Binding theory this is known asproper government. Proper government occurs either if the empty position is governedby a lexical category (especially if it is not a subject) or if it is coindexed with a maximalprojection which governs it (antecedent government). The ECP has been revised manytimes and is now a central part of Government and Binding theory.ReferencesChomsky, N. 1981. Lectures on government and binding. Dordrecht. (7th edn Berlin and NewYork, 1993).——1986. Barriers. Cambridge, MA.Kayne, R. 1984. Connectedness and binary branching. Dordrecht.Lasnik, H. and M.Saito. 1984. On the nature of proper government. LingI 15. 235–89.Pesetsky, D.M. 1982. Paths and categories. Dissertation, MIT.Rizzi, L. 1990. Relativized minimality. Cambridge, MA.Sobin, N. 1987. The variable status of COMP-trace phenomena. NL&LT 5. 33–60.noun phraseempty position1 (also slot) In formal logic, the arguments required by predicates.2 In linguistics: (a) a position in a sentence which the syntax dictates could beoccupied by another element. Depending on the sentence, it may be obligatory oroptional that the position be filled: for example, the empty position in the …sky mayoptionally be filled by an adjective. (b) A position determined by the valence of the verb.( also dependency grammar)3 A syntactic category of the Revised Extended Standard Theory (transformational grammar) which may contain morphological and syntactic features,but no phonological features. These categories include traces of trace theory, the PROelement of control theory, and the pro-element of pro-drop languages. Empty positionsare subclassified in various ways in Government and Binding theory and are subject tothe binding theory, the empty category principle, and theta criterion.