Empty category
Encyclopedia
In linguistics
, in the study of syntax
, an empty category is a nominal element which does not have any phonological content and is therefore unpronounced; they may also be referred to as covert nouns, in contrast to overt nouns which are pronounced. There are four types of empty category: NP-trace, Wh-trace, PRO, and pro. The types of empty category are differentiated by their two binding
features, namely the anaphoric feature [a] and the pronominal feature [p]. The four possible combinations of plus or minus values for these features yield the four types of empty category.
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Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, in the study of syntax
Syntax
In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....
, an empty category is a nominal element which does not have any phonological content and is therefore unpronounced; they may also be referred to as covert nouns, in contrast to overt nouns which are pronounced. There are four types of empty category: NP-trace, Wh-trace, PRO, and pro. The types of empty category are differentiated by their two binding
Binding (linguistics)
In linguistics, binding theory is any of a broad class of theories dealing with the distribution of pronominal and anaphoric elements. The idea that there should be a specialised, coherent theory dealing with this particular set of phenomena originated in work in transformational grammar in the 1970s...
features, namely the anaphoric feature [a] and the pronominal feature [p]. The four possible combinations of plus or minus values for these features yield the four types of empty category.
| [a] | [p] | Symbol | Name of empty category | Corresponding overt noun type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | t | Wh-trace Trace (linguistics) In transformational grammar, a trace is an empty category that occupies a position in the syntactic structure. In some theories of syntax, traces are used in the account of constructions such as wh-movement and passive.... |
R-expression |
| - | + | pro | "little Pro" | pronoun Pronoun In linguistics and grammar, a pronoun is a pro-form that substitutes for a noun , such as, in English, the words it and he... |
| + | - | t | NP-trace | anaphor |
| + | + | PRO | "big Pro" | none |
Generation of empty categories
Not all empty categories enter the derivation of a sentence at the same point. Both NP-trace and Wh-trace, as evidenced by their names, are only generated as the result of movement operations. Conversely, both PRO and pro are not the result of movement and must be base-generated. In both the GB and minimalism frameworks, the only method of base-generation is lexical insertion, so both PRO and pro are held to be entries in the mental lexiconLexicon
In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
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