GlossaryDegP: the functional projection on top of APs (similarly to DPs taking NP
complements) hosting degree modifiers like the superlative and comparative
morpheme.
degree adverb: a subclass of adverbs which specifies the degree to which some
property applies, e.g. very and extremely. Feature composition: [+F, +N,
+V]
derivational morpheme: it forms a new word from an existing one in the lexicon
with its own lexical properties. The meaning of the new word may differ
from the original word. Lexical process
derived noun: a noun derived from a word belonging to another word category. See
deverbal noun.
determiner: the head of a Determiner Phrase, a closed class item taking an NP
complement defining its definiteness. Feature composition: [+F, –N, +V]
determiner phrase (DP): a phrase headed by a central determiner or the possessive
’s morpheme. The complement of a DP is an NP, the specifier the DP
the possessive ending attaches to.
deverbal noun: a noun derived from a verb, e.g. a bite from the verb to bite.
direct object: the DP complement of a verb most often bearing the theta-role of
patient or theme.
distribution: the set of positions that the grammar determines to be possible for a
given category. Words that distribute in the same way will belong to the
same categories, words that distribute differently will belong to different
categories.
ditransitive verb: a verb with two nominal complements, e.g. give.
do-insertion: see do-support.
do-support: a last resort operation when neither the auxiliary nor the lexical verb
can move. We find it in the following structures:
(a) the VP has fronted: [crash the car] he did
(b) the inflection itself has inverted in a question: did he – crash the car?
(c) there is a negative between the I and the VP: he did not use the
windscreen wipers
double-object construction: the special construction when the verb give selects two
objects, an indirect object and a direct object, in this order, like in
the sentence Peter gave Mary a teddy bear.
Doubly Filled COMP Filter: no CP can have both an overt specifier and an
overt complementiser generated in C.
DP: see Determiner Phrase.
DP-movement: the movement of DPs in passive and raising structures. In both
cases the DP is base-generated in a position where it cannot be assigned
Case. In terms of the Case Filter it has to move to a position where it
can be Case-marked.
dummy auxiliary: a certain form of the auxiliary do, its main function is to support
the tense morpheme when it cannot appear on the main verb
echo question: a question in which a previously uttered sentence is more or less
repeated and a part of it that was either not heard or not believed is replaced