Binding Conditions

Definition

The binding conditions make predictions about coreference based on syntactic structures and can therefore be used as a test of syntactic configurationality. The application of binding conditions yields the predictions below for configurational and non-configurational languages. (Lai, 1998, p. 15)

While Halkomelem has largely been argued as a non-configurational language (Hukari, 1983), Secwepemctsín has evidence supporting it as a configurational language in addition to a non-configurational language (Lai, 1998).

Examples

Binding Conditions	Description
Condition A	An anaphor must be bound in a local domain.
Condition B	A pronoun must be free in a local domain.
Condition C	An R-expression must be free.

Configurational Language	Flat (Non-Configurational) Language
Maryi likes heri father	Maryi likes heri father
Mary’si father likes heri	*Mary’si father likes heri
Heri father likes Maryi	Heri father likes Maryi
*Shei likes Mary’si father	*Shei likes Mary’si father

References

Hukari, T. E. (1983). Halkomelm and configuration. ICSNL, 18, 214-238.

Lai, I. S. (1998). The grammar and acquisition of Secwepemctsín independent pronouns. [Master’s thesis, The University of British Columbia].