Documentation

Studies.DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015

De Belder and van Craenenbroeck (2015): How to Merge a Root #

Merge is asymmetric and unary: it selects a single item from the resource and pairs it with the object under construction, the selected item projecting. The first Merge of a derivation, Primary Merge, finds no object yet and pairs its item with the null derivation, the empty set, which leaves a radically empty terminal at the foot of the structure. That terminal is where a root is inserted after syntax. It has no features, it projects nothing and so has no category, it is a position rather than a kind of item, and it lies below all the functional material of its derivation. A phrase with several roots is built from layered derivations: each is spelled out and readmitted to the resource as an atom, opaque to later operations and unable to project, so that there is one root for every derivational workspace.

Since the root position has no features, Vocabulary Insertion may put any item into it, functional items included, and their features play no part in the syntax. Dutch uses wh-words, pronouns, conjunctions, articles and particles as roots, the pronoun ik 'I' in a root position triggers default third person agreement, and the conjunction maar 'but' used as a verb selects no clause. Neither an early insertion model, in which only featureless items are roots, nor a late insertion model that reserves root positions for items marked as roots derives these examples.

Main statements #

Implementation notes #

References #

Unary Merge and the null derivation #

An object of Unary Merge is the null derivation, or the ordered pair of an item selected from the resource with the object under construction.

  • null {F : Type u} : Obj F

    The null derivation, the empty set Primary Merge pairs its item with.

  • pair {F : Type u} : Item F → Obj F → Obj F

    The ordered pair of a selected item with the object under construction.

Instances For

    An item of a resource is a bundle of grammatical features, or the output of an earlier derivation readmitted to the resource as an atom.

    • bundle {F : Type u} : Finset F → Item F

      A bundle of grammatical features.

    • atom {F : Type u} : Obj F → Item F

      An earlier derivation readmitted as an atom.

    Instances For

      The object is the null derivation.

      Equations
      Instances For
        @[instance_reducible]
        instance DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.instDecidableIsNull {F : Type u} (o : Obj F) :
        Decidable o.IsNull
        Equations
        def DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.Obj.label {F : Type u} :
        Obj F → Option (Finset F)

        The bundle that projects in an object. A selected bundle projects; a readmitted atom cannot, and the null derivation, having no features, projects nothing.

        Equations
        Instances For

          The root positions of an object, its null derivations, those inside its atoms included.

          Equations
          Instances For

            A state of a derivation, its resource and the object under construction.

            • resource : List (Item F)
            • object : Obj F
            Instances For
              inductive DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.Step {F : Type u} :
              State F → State F → Prop

              A step of a derivation.

              • merge {F : Type u} (R₁ R₂ : List (Item F)) (a : Item F) (δ : Obj F) : Step { resource := R₁ ++ a :: R₂, object := δ } { resource := R₁ ++ R₂, object := Obj.pair a δ }

                Unary Merge selects an item from the resource and pairs it with the object under construction.

              • readmit {F : Type u} (R : List (Item F)) (a : Item F) (δ : Obj F) : Step { resource := R, object := Obj.pair a δ } { resource := Item.atom (Obj.pair a δ) :: R, object := Obj.null }

                The object is spelled out and readmitted to the resource as an atom, emptying the workspace for a new Primary Merge.

              Instances For
                def DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.State.init {F : Type u} (R : List (Finset F)) :

                The state a derivation starts from, its resource of bundles and the null derivation.

                Equations
                Instances For

                  The root positions of a state.

                  Equations
                  Instances For

                    The Primary Merges of a state.

                    Equations
                    Instances For

                      A state has one root for each Primary Merge, and one more while its workspace is empty.

                      Equations
                      Instances For
                        theorem DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.Step.balanced {F : Type u} {s t : State F} (h : Step s t) (hs : s.Balanced) :
                        theorem DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.State.Balanced.of_reflTransGen {F : Type u} {s t : State F} (h : Relation.ReflTransGen Step s t) (hs : s.Balanced) :
                        theorem DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.roots_eq_primaryMerges {F : Type u} {R : List (Finset F)} {o : Obj F} (h : Relation.ReflTransGen Step (State.init R) { resource := [], object := o }) (ho : ¬o.IsNull) :

                        One derivational workspace, one root. Every object a derivation builds from a resource of bundles has one root for each Primary Merge, the first Merge of each derivational workspace.

                        The atoms of an object's own workspace, the derivations readmitted to it, opaque to the operations of that workspace.

                        Equations
                        Instances For

                          The sample derivations #

                          The grammatical features of the sample derivations.

                          Instances For
                            @[instance_reducible]
                            Equations
                            Equations
                            • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                            Instances For

                              the books of (18), the definite and plural features over the null derivation.

                              Equations
                              • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                              Instances For
                                theorem DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.derivation_theBooks :
                                Relation.ReflTransGen Step (State.init [{Feature.definite}, {Feature.plural}]) { resource := [], object := theBooks }

                                The derivation (17)–(18) of the books from the resource of its definite and plural features.

                                A definite DP, its feature over the null derivation.

                                Equations
                                • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                Instances For

                                  The v-V complex, v over the null derivation.

                                  Equations
                                  • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                  Instances For

                                    In The child eats the cookie of (41) the subject and the v-V complex, each spelled out in a derivation of its own and readmitted as an atom, are merged over the direct object.

                                    Equations
                                    • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                    Instances For

                                      The derivation (33)–(41) builds and readmits the subject, then the v-V complex, and builds the direct object last, merging the atoms over it.

                                      In (41) the subject and the v-V complex are atoms, opaque to extraction, while the direct object's feature is open to it, and the clause has three roots.

                                      eat the cookie of (42), the direct object merged with F⁰ and the v-V complex over them.

                                      Equations
                                      • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                      Instances For

                                        In (42) F⁰ labels the phrase, since the readmitted v-V complex cannot project.

                                        Functional items in root positions #

                                        The items in root positions belong to the open class or to the closed classes of the functional items.

                                        Instances For
                                          @[instance_reducible]
                                          Equations
                                          Equations
                                          • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                          Instances For

                                            Which items may realize a root position.

                                            • featureless : Realizers

                                              Only items without grammatical features, the lexical ones.

                                            • any : Realizers

                                              Any item.

                                            Instances For
                                              @[instance_reducible]
                                              Equations
                                              Equations
                                              • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                              Instances For

                                                When items are inserted.

                                                • early : Insertion

                                                  Before syntax, their features visible to it.

                                                • late : Insertion

                                                  After syntax.

                                                Instances For
                                                  @[instance_reducible]
                                                  Equations
                                                  Equations
                                                  • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                  Instances For

                                                    A model of root insertion says which items may realize a root position and when items are inserted.

                                                    Instances For
                                                      def DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.instDecidableEqModel.decEq (x✝ x✝¹ : Model) :
                                                      Decidable (x✝ = x✝¹)
                                                      Equations
                                                      • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                      Instances For
                                                        Equations
                                                        • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                        Instances For

                                                          Borer's exoskeletal model, in which items are inserted early and the featureless ones are roots.

                                                          Equations
                                                          Instances For

                                                            Late insertion with a [Root] feature, which reserves root positions for lexical items.

                                                            Equations
                                                            Instances For

                                                              Late insertion into the empty position of Primary Merge, which any item may realize.

                                                              Equations
                                                              Instances For

                                                                A model lets an item of a class realize a root position.

                                                                Equations
                                                                Instances For
                                                                  @[instance_reducible]
                                                                  Equations
                                                                  • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

                                                                  The person and number features.

                                                                  Instances For
                                                                    Equations
                                                                    • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                                    Instances For

                                                                      The person and number of a pronoun.

                                                                      Equations
                                                                      Instances For

                                                                        The present forms of zijn 'be', third person singular is the Elsewhere form.

                                                                        Equations
                                                                        • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                                        Instances For

                                                                          ik in a root position brings its own person and number to the syntax when it is inserted early, and none when it is inserted late.

                                                                          Equations
                                                                          • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                                          Instances For

                                                                            The copula agreeing with a subject whose root position ik realizes.

                                                                            Equations
                                                                            Instances For

                                                                              An example tests whether an item may be in a root position, the agreement it triggers there, or the complement it selects there.

                                                                              Instances For
                                                                                @[instance_reducible]
                                                                                Equations
                                                                                Equations
                                                                                • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                                                Instances For
                                                                                  def DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.Model.Accepts (M : Model) (c : ItemClass) (form : Option String) :

                                                                                  A model predicts an item of a class acceptable in a construction, with the copula form. An item of a functional class selects a clause only when its features are visible to syntax.

                                                                                  Equations
                                                                                  Instances For
                                                                                    @[instance_reducible]
                                                                                    instance DeBelderVanCraenenbroeck2015.instDecidableAccepts (M : Model) (c : ItemClass) (form : Option String) (k : Construction) :
                                                                                    Decidable (M.Accepts c form k)
                                                                                    Equations
                                                                                    • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

                                                                                    The classes as named in the rows.

                                                                                    Equations
                                                                                    • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                                                    Instances For

                                                                                      The constructions as named in the rows.

                                                                                      Equations
                                                                                      • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                                                      Instances For

                                                                                        The examples (2)–(11), each with its construction, the class of the item in the root position, the copula of the agreement example, and the judgment.

                                                                                        Equations
                                                                                        • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                                                                                        Instances For

                                                                                          A model derives the examples when it accepts exactly the acceptable ones.

                                                                                          Equations
                                                                                          Instances For

                                                                                            Roots are defined structurally, and inserted late. Only the model that lets any item realize a root position and inserts items after syntax derives the examples: the exoskeletal and the [Root] feature models exclude the functional items of (2)–(9), and inserting them early would give ik first person agreement in (10) and maar its clause in (11).