en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-bar_theory
3 corrections found
These categories are lexemes and not phrases
N, V, A, and P are syntactic/lexical categories, not lexemes. A lexeme is an individual lexical unit (like RUN), whereas noun, verb, adjective, and preposition are classes of such units.
Full reasoning
This sentence confuses lexemes with lexical categories.
In X-bar theory, symbols like N, V, A, and P stand for syntactic or lexical categories (noun, verb, adjective, preposition). They are not themselves lexemes. A lexeme is an individual lexical unit in the lexicon, such as a particular word or vocabulary item; a lexical category is the class that such a lexeme belongs to.
SIL's Glossary of Linguistic Terms defines a lexical category as a syntactic category for elements in the lexicon and lists categories such as noun and verb. The same glossary defines a lexeme as the minimal unit of language with a semantic interpretation. Those are different notions. So the article's sentence is factually incorrect: N, V, A, and P are category labels, not lexemes.
2 sources
- What is a Lexical Category | Glossary of Linguistic Terms
A lexical category is a syntactic category for elements that are part of the lexicon of a language... Major categories: noun, verb ... Many languages also have adjective, adverb.
- What is a Lexeme | Glossary of Linguistic Terms
A lexeme is the minimal unit of language which has a semantic interpretation and embodies a distinct cultural concept.
In illustrating syntactic structures this way, at least one X'-level node is present in any circumstance because the complement is obligatory.
An X′ level is not present because complements are obligatory. Standard X-bar theory allows phrases with no overt complement; the X′ level is part of the projectional structure even when no complement is present.
Full reasoning
This sentence gives the wrong reason for why an X′ level appears in X-bar structure.
Standard X-bar presentations do require an intermediate/bar level, but not because every phrase has an obligatory complement. In standard rules, the complement position is optional: XP → (YP) X′ and X′ → X (ZP). The bar level is present as part of the projectional structure of the phrase, even when no complement is present.
The two sources below explicitly say that the specifier/complement positions are optional and that phrases still contain a bar level even when there is no complement to host. So the claim is incorrect in tying the X′ level to obligatory complements.
2 sources
- 5.7: Trees- Introducing X-bar theory - Social Sci LibreTexts
XP → (YP) X' ; X' → X (ZP) ... Every phrase (XP) must have a bar-level of the same category (X') within it, optionally preceded by another phrase (YP). Every bar-level (X') must have a head of the same category within it, optionally followed by another phrase (ZP).
- X-bar syntax - The Science of Syntax
a phrase minimally involves at least one X'-level ... all phrases contain at least one bar level, even when it is not needed to host a complement.
The category I includes auxiliary verbs such as will and can, clitics such as -s of the third person singular present and -ed of the past tense.
The examples “-s” and “-ed” are not clitics; they are inflectional suffixes/affixes. Clitics are word-like morphemes that attach phonologically to a host, whereas these English verbal endings are standard inflectional affixes attached to verb stems.
Full reasoning
This sentence misclassifies the English verbal endings -s and -ed as clitics.
A clitic is not just any bound grammatical morpheme. SIL's glossary defines a clitic as a morpheme that has the syntactic characteristics of a word but is phonologically bound to another word; it contrasts clitics with affixes by noting that clitics can attach to words or even whole phrases, while affixes attach to single words.
By contrast, SIL defines -ed as a suffix: “The past tense suffix -ed attaches to the end of the stem walk to form walked.” It also gives -s as an inflectional third person singular suffix, e.g. “The inflectional third person singular suffix -s may be added to the stems to form ties and unties,” and notes that English come is inflected for person and number by the suffix -s.
So the article's examples are wrong: -s and -ed are standard inflectional suffixes/affixes, not clitics.
4 sources
- What is a Clitic (Grammar) | Glossary of Linguistic Terms
A clitic is a morpheme that has syntactic characteristics of a word, but shows evidence of being phonologically bound to another word... Clitic: may attach to words or whole phrases. Affix: attaches to single words.
- What is a Suffix | Glossary of Linguistic Terms
A suffix is an affix that is attached to the end of a root or stem. Example: The past tense suffix -ed attaches to the end of the stem walk to form walked.
- What is a Stem | Glossary of Linguistic Terms
The inflectional third person singular suffix -s may be added to the stems to form ties and unties.
- What is a Inflection | Glossary of Linguistic Terms
In the following English sentence, come is inflected for person and number by the suffix -s: The mailman comes about noon.