Binding Theory

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Binding Theory

• Universität Bielefeld
• Fakultät für Linguistik und Literaturwissenschaft
• How to Write a Grammar
• T.Trippel
• Referenten Torsten Eickmann, Julia Plücks

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Introduction

• Binding Theory provides a general rule for
• reflexive pronouns.
• Remember Coreferential expressions
• Johni frightens himselfi.
• Susani frightens heri.
• Susani frightens herj.

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Problematic Examples

• a. Susani likes herselfi.
• b. Susani likes heri.
• c. Susani told herselfi a story.
• d. Susani told heri a story.

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The Argument Structure List

• The features that encode information about what
  arguments a verb takes are the valence features
  SPR and COMPS.
• Problem in examples a.-d., the binding in
  question involves the subject NP and one of the
  nonsubject NPs, but our valence features separate
  the subject (specifier) and the nonsubject
  (complements) into two different lists.

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The Argument Realization Principle

• For Binding Theory, we need a single list with
  both subject and complements.
• We introduce a feature ARG-ST
• It is a constraint on the type word
• ARG-ST is neither in SYN nor SEM

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The Argument Realization Principle
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Definitions

• To distinguish between reflexive and nonreflexive
  pronouns we introduce a new value of the semantic
  feature MODE.
• Reflexive pronouns are MODE ana, nonreflexive
  pronouns remain MODE ref.
• ana is short for anaphoric, meaning
  expressions whose interpretation requires them
  to be associated with other elements in the
  discourse.

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Binding Principles

• Principle A
• A MODE ana element must be outranked by a
  coindexed element.
• Principle B
• A MODE ref element must not be outranked by a
  coindexed element.
• (Remember If A precedes B on some ARG-ST list,
  then A outranks B.)

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Pronominal Agreement

• The Binding Principles say nothing about
  agreement between pronouns and antecedents. They
  do not rule out examples like
• I enjoy yourself.
• He enjoys themselves.

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Anaphoric Agreement Principle (AAP)

• Coindexed NPs agree.

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Binding in Prepositional Phrases

• Reflexives and their antecedents can be objects
  of prepositions.
• In this case our principles make wrong
  predictions because the index of a pronoun is not
  given in the feature structure of the PP.

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Examples

• Nobody told Susani about herselfi.
• Nobody told Susani about heri.
• Nobody talked to Susani about herselfi
• Nobody talked to Susani about heri.

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Two Types of Prepositions I

• Argument-marking Function like casemarkers in
  other languages, indicating the roles of NP
  referents in the situation denoted by the verb.
• Predicative Introduce their own predication.

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Examples

• Argument-marking
• To make a noose, you wind the ropei around
  itselfi.
• Predication
• The housei had a fence around iti.
• Compare
• The house had a fence, and the fence was
  around the house.

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Two Types of Prepositions II

• Argument-marking prepositions share their
  objects MODE and INDEX values.
• This is done with tagging in the lexical entries
  of such prepositions.
• These features are also shared with the PP node,
  by the Semantic Inheritance Principle.
• Predicative prepositions introduce their own MODE
  and INDEX values.

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Example myself
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The ARG-ST myself
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Example me
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The ARG-ST me
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Imperatives

• Internal structure of a VP
• MODE directive (dir)
• Verb is in the infinitive
• Only allow 2nd person reflexives
• eg.
• Defend yourself/yourselves!
• Defend myself/himself!

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The Imperative Rule