A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics David Crystal

pronoun 391
that all sentences must have a subject. In X-bar syntax, phrasal projections
(or bar projections) refer to the different types of phrasal expansion of any
word-level category: a single-bar projection into a ‘small’ X-bar phrase, and
a double-bar projection into a ‘large’ X-double-bar phrase. All full phrases
(e.g. AP, NP, PP) are maximal projections – levels above which the properties of
the lexical entries for the heads have no influence. In a later development, IP
and CP are viewed as extended projections of V, and DP and PP as extended
projections of N. In the grid and bracketed-grid theories of metrical phonology,
‘projection’ refers to the introduction of a new line in the grid. See also
intermediate (2).
prominent (adj.) A term used in auditory phonetics to refer to the degree to
which a sound or syllable stands out from others in its environment. Variations
in length, pitch, stress and inherent sonority are all factors which
contribute to the relative prominence of a unit. An abstract sense of the term is
often used in phonology; for example, in metrical phonology, it refers to
the relative weight between constituents in a metrical tree, defined in terms
of the values of s (‘stronger than’) and w (‘weaker than’).
promotion (n.) (1) A term used in relational grammar for a class of relation-changing
processes which make a noun phrase more prominent. In the
process of advancement, an NP which bears a particular grammatical relation to
some verb comes to bear another grammatical relation to that verb, which is
higher up the relational hierarchy. In the process of ascension, an NP which
is part of a larger NP comes to bear the grammatical relation previously borne
by the larger NP.
(2) Promotion is also found in some models of feature geometry, to refer to
an alteration in the status of a construct (e.g. a feature, an articulation) from
a lower to a higher level. For example, a minor articulation (such as palatalization)
may be assigned major status under certain conditions.
pronominalization (n.) A term used in classical transformational grammar
to refer to a rule which replaces a lexical noun phrase with a pronoun. In
later approaches within generative grammar, pronouns are base-generated. In
government-binding theory, the term pronominal is used for a type of noun
phrase (along with anaphors and R-expressions) of particular importance
as part of a theory of binding. Pronominals include the class of personal
pronouns, and little and big pro. A pronominal NP must be free in its governing
category.
pronoun (n.) (pro, PRO, pron) A term used in the grammatical classification
of words, referring to the closed set of items which can be used to substitute
for a noun phrase (or single noun). There are many types of pronoun, with
terminology varying somewhat between grammars. Personal pronouns include I,
you, etc., in their variant forms (e.g. I/me); in their form my/mine, the term
possessive pronoun (pos(s), POS(S)) is often used. Other classes of pronoun
regularly recognized include: demonstrative pronouns, e.g. this/that (in certain
of their uses); interrogative pronouns, e.g. certain uses of who/which/what;
reflexive pronouns, e.g. myself/yourself; indefinite pronouns, e.g. anyone/nobody;