View source

'''Syntax''' is the study of the principles and rules for constructing sentences in natural languages.

== X-bar theory ==
The syntactic framework of the UNLarium derives from the X-bar theory <ref>Chomsky, Noam (1970). Remarks on nominalization. In: R. Jacobs and
P. Rosenbaum (eds.) ''Reading in English Transformational Grammar'', 184-221. Waltham: Ginn.</ref>, which postulates that all human languages share certain structural similarities, including the same underlying syntactic structure, whose abstract configuration is depicted in the diagram below:
<pre>
    XP
   / \
spec  XB
     / \
    XB  adjunct
   / \
  X   comp
  |
head
</pre>
In the above:
*X is the '''head''', the nucleus or the source of the whole syntactic structure, which is actually derived (or projected) out of it. 
*'''comp''' (i.e., complement) is an internal argument, i.e., a word, phrase or clause which is necessary to the head to complete its meaning (e.g., objects of transitive verbs)
*'''adjunct''' is a word, phrase or clause which modifies the head but which is not syntactically required by it  (adjuncts are expected to be extranuclear, i.e., removing an adjunct would leave a grammatically well-formed sentence)
*'''spec''' (i.e., specifier) is an external argument, i.e., a word, phrase or clause which qualifies (determines) the head
*'''XB''' (X-bar) is the general name for any of the intermediate projections derived from X 
*'''XP''' (X-bar-bar, X-double-bar, X-phrase) is the maximal projection of X.

A key assumption of X-bar theory is that branching is always binary, if it occurs. This means that specifiers, complements and adjuncts are optional
and that there can be as many XBs as necessary:

{|
|-
|
<pre>
  XP
  |
  XB
  |
 head
</pre>
|
<pre>
   XP
  /  \ 
spec XB
     |
    head
</pre>
|
<pre>
    XP
    |  
    XB
   /  \ 
head  comp 
</pre>
|
<pre>
    XP
    |  
    XB
   /  \ 
head  adjt 
</pre>
|
<pre>
   XP
  /  \  
spec  XB
     /  \ 
  head  adjt 
</pre>
|
<pre>
    XP
   / \
spec  XB
     / \
    XB  comp
   / \
  X   comp
  |
head
</pre>
|
<pre>
    XP
   / \
spec  XB
     / \
    XB adjt
   / \
  XB  comp
 / \
X   comp
|
head
</pre>
|etc.
|}

The order of the constituents (specifiers, complements and adjuncts) may be subject to language specific parametrization:
{|
|-
|
<pre>
    XP
    |  
    XB
   /  \ 
head  comp 
</pre>
|
<pre>
    XP
    |  
    XB
   /  \ 
comp  head 
</pre>
|
<pre>
    XP
    |  
    XB
   /  \ 
head  adjt 
</pre>
|
<pre>
    XP
    |  
    XB
   /  \ 
adjt head 
</pre>
|etc.
|}

== Heads ==
In the UNLarium approach to the X-bar theory, the heads, which should replace the letter X, and which define the nature of the phrase, may be occupied by the following categories <ref>In the X-bar theory, differently from the UNLarium approach, adverbs are subsumed by prepositions and are not considered to be an independent lexical category.</ref>
*N = nouns and nominals: personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, nominalizations, etc (head of a Noun Phrase or NP)
*V = verbs (head of a Verb Phrase or VP)
*J = adjectives (head of an Adjective Phrase or JP)
*A = adverbs (head of an Adverb Phrase or AP)
*P = prepositions (head of a Prepositional Phrase or PP)
*D = determiners: articles, demonstrative determiners, possessive determiners, quantifiers (head of a Determiner Phrase or DP)
*I = auxiliary verbs (head of an Inflectional Phrase or IP)
*C = conjunction (head of a Complementizer Phrase or CP)
== Specifiers ==
Specifiers are used to narrow the meaning intended by the head:
*articles: the (book), a (book), etc.
*possessive determiners: my (book), your (book), etc.
*demonstrative determiners: this (book), that (book), etc.
*quantifiers: no (answer), every (hour), etc.
*intensifiers (emphasizers, amplifiers, downtoners): very (expensive), quite (well), nearly (under), kind of (like), etc.
*frequency adverbs: always (go), never (go), usually (go), etc.
*negative adverbs: not (go)
== Complements ==
Complements are used to complete the meaning intended by the head:
*direct objects: (do) something, (give) something
*indirect objects: (laugh at) something, (give to) someone
*complement of deverbals (i.e., nouns deriving from verbs): (construction of) the city, (arrival of) Peter
*complement of adjectives: (loyal) to the queen, (interested) in Chemistry
*complement of adverbs: (contrarily) to popular belief, (independently) from her
*complement of prepositions: (under) the table, (after) today
*complement of conjunctions: (and) Peter, (I don't know if) he'll come
== Adjuncts ==
Adjuncts are used to modify the meaning intended by the head:
*adjectives: beautiful (table)
*manner adverbs: speak (slowly)
*prepositional phrases: (table) of wood
etc.
== Phrases ==




== References ==
<references/>