Categorial Feature Theories: @cite{chomsky-1970} vs. @cite{panagiotidis-2015} #
@cite{panagiotidis-2015} @cite{grimshaw-2005} @cite{chomsky-1970}
Two theories of what makes a noun a noun and a verb a verb:
@cite{chomsky-1970}: [±V, ±N] as arbitrary binary diacritics that cross-classify the four lexical categories. Adopted by @cite{grimshaw-2005} for Extended Projections. Implemented in
CatFeatures.@cite{panagiotidis-2015}: [N] and [V] as substantive, LF-interpretable features:
- [N] = sortal perspective / referentiality
- [V] = temporal perspective / eventivity (§4.3)
On categorizers (v, n, a), these are interpretable; on functional heads
(T, C, D, etc.), they are uninterpretable copies (§5.8).
Implemented in
CategorialFeatures.
Key Agreement #
The two systems produce the same four equivalence classes — {verbal}, {nominal},
{adjectival}, {adpositional} — and therefore agree on all EP-consistency judgments
(chomsky_panagiotidis_agree).
Key Disagreement #
The status of P (prepositions/adpositions):
- Chomsky: P actively bears [-V, -N] — two negative feature values
- Panagiotidis: P is the default categorizer, lacking both [N] and [V]
This matters for the theory of features: in Chomsky's system, [-V] and [-N] are just as "real" as [+V] and [+N]. In Panagiotidis's system, the absence of [N] and [V] is genuinely the absence of categorial content — P is the elsewhere case. This predicts that P should be the most promiscuous category (appearing in the most diverse syntactic environments), which Panagiotidis argues is borne out.
Adjectives #
Both systems agree that A shares properties with both N and V:
- Chomsky: A = [+V, +N], the only category with both positive values
- Panagiotidis: A = [N, V], bearing both substantive features
The difference: for Panagiotidis, this is explanatory — adjectives have temporal anchoring (because [V]) and sortal perspective (because [N]). For Chomsky, the co-presence of [+V] and [+N] is a notational fact without semantic content.
The two theories agree on every pairwise consistency judgment. Re-export of the theorem from Basic.lean for visibility.
In Chomsky's system, every category has at least one positive feature except P (which has [-V, -N] = ⟨false, false⟩).
In Panagiotidis's system, P is the default: no categorial features.
These are extensionally identical — but the theories interpret ⟨false, false⟩ differently: Chomsky reads it as "actively [-V, -N]"; Panagiotidis reads it as "absence of both [N] and [V]" (the elsewhere case).
Adjectives bear both features in both systems.
[N] = sortal perspective / referentiality. Every category in the nominal EP bears [N] (interpretable on n, uninterpretable on Num/Q/D; §5.8).
[V] = temporal perspective / eventivity. Every category in the verbal EP bears [V] (interpretable on v, uninterpretable on T/C; §5.8).
Adjectives bear both [N] (sortal perspective) and [V] (temporal perspective). This explains why adjectives can be nominalized (via [N]) and have temporal anchoring (via [V]).
The adjectival categorizer a inherits [N, V] from A.
P bears neither [N] nor [V] — the default/elsewhere categorizer. This predicts P is the most syntactically promiscuous category.
The three categorizers (v, n, a) form a natural class at F1 (Grimshaw's system). Each bears the interpretable categorial features of its EP family. Note: Panagiotidis (§4.5) argues categorizers are lexical, not functional, despite being placed at F1 in the EP.
Lexical heads (V, N, A, P) are not categorizers. In Panagiotidis's system, these represent categorized items (√+categorizer), not the categorizers themselves.
Each categorizer bears the interpretable features of its family: v bears [V] (temporal), n bears [N] (sortal), a bears [N, V] (both).
CatFamily is the theory-neutral representation: it records which categories group together without committing to the mechanism. Both Chomsky and Panagiotidis produce the same CatFamily partition.