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Linglib.Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026

Minimalist Nominal Spine → NP-Ellipsis @cite{saab-2026} #

@cite{lobeck-1995} @cite{ritter-1991}

Connects the Minimalist nominal extended projection (N → n → Q → Num → D) to the NP-ellipsis data in Spanish binominals.

Key Results #

  1. The nominal argument domain (nP = {N, n}) parallels the verbal argument domain (vP = {V, v}) at the same F-level cutoff.
  2. NP-ellipsis targets exactly the nominal argument domain: everything at or below n (F1) is deleted when Num carries [E].
  3. Pseudo-partitive and quantificational binominals have Num[E]; qualitative binominals lack it due to their EquP structure.
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theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.nominal_ep_wellformed :
Minimalism.allCategoryConsistent Minimalism.fullNominalEP = true ∧ Minimalism.allFMonotone Minimalism.fullNominalEP = true

The full nominal EP [N, n, Q, Num, D] is well-formed: category-consistent and F-monotone.

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theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.nominal_verbal_spine_parallel :
Minimalism.fValue Minimalism.Cat.N = Minimalism.fValue Minimalism.Cat.V ∧ Minimalism.fValue Minimalism.Cat.n = Minimalism.fValue Minimalism.Cat.v ∧ Minimalism.fValue Minimalism.Cat.Q = Minimalism.fValue Minimalism.Cat.T ∧ Minimalism.fValue Minimalism.Cat.Num = Minimalism.fValue Minimalism.Cat.Fin

The nominal spine is structurally parallel to the verbal spine at all F-levels: lexical (F0) → categorizer (F1) → specification (F2) → inner edge (F3) → discourse (F4+).

At F2–F3, the parallel is structural (same EP zone) rather than functional: T specifies temporally while Q specifies via individuation; Fin types the clause while Num types the nominal.

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theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.argdomain_boundary_parallel :
Minimalism.fValue (Minimalism.argumentDomainCat Minimalism.Cat.C) = Minimalism.fValue (Minimalism.argumentDomainCat Minimalism.Cat.D)

The verbal and nominal argument domains use the same F-level boundary (F1): v for clauses, n for noun phrases.

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theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.verbal_nominal_argdomain_symmetric :
Minimalism.isInArgumentDomain Minimalism.Cat.V Minimalism.Cat.C = true ∧ Minimalism.isInArgumentDomain Minimalism.Cat.v Minimalism.Cat.C = true ∧ Minimalism.isInArgumentDomain Minimalism.Cat.T Minimalism.Cat.C = false ∧ Minimalism.isInArgumentDomain Minimalism.Cat.N Minimalism.Cat.D = true ∧ Minimalism.isInArgumentDomain Minimalism.Cat.n Minimalism.Cat.D = true ∧ Minimalism.isInArgumentDomain Minimalism.Cat.Q Minimalism.Cat.D = false

The verbal argument domain is {V, v} (F0–F1). The nominal argument domain is {N, n} (F0–F1). Both exclude inflectional heads (T/Num at F2).

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def Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.mkNominalLicense (b : Core.Lexical.Binominal.BinominalType) :
Minimalism.Sluicing.NominalEllipsisLicense

Build a NominalEllipsisLicense from a BinominalType.

Equations
Instances For
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    theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.pseudopartitive_license :
    (mkNominalLicense Core.Lexical.Binominal.BinominalType.pseudoPartitive).isLicensed = true

    Pseudo-partitive Num[E] licenses NP-ellipsis.

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    theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.quantificational_license :
    (mkNominalLicense Core.Lexical.Binominal.BinominalType.quantificational).isLicensed = true

    Quantificational Num[E] licenses NP-ellipsis.

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    theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.qualitative_no_license :
    (mkNominalLicense Core.Lexical.Binominal.BinominalType.qualitative).isLicensed = false

    Qualitative lacks Num[E], blocking NP-ellipsis.

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    theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.licensing_matches_data (b : Core.Lexical.Binominal.BinominalType) :
    (mkNominalLicense b).isLicensed = b.licensesNPE

    The licensing prediction matches the empirical data for every binominal type.

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    theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.nominal_spine_ep_internal :
    Minimalism.isEPInternal Minimalism.Cat.N Minimalism.Cat.n = true ∧ Minimalism.isEPInternal Minimalism.Cat.n Minimalism.Cat.Q = true ∧ Minimalism.isEPInternal Minimalism.Cat.Q Minimalism.Cat.Num = true ∧ Minimalism.isEPInternal Minimalism.Cat.Num Minimalism.Cat.D = true

    Each nominal functional head is EP-internal to the next higher head — complement selection proceeds up the nominal spine: N(F0) → n(F1) → Q(F2) → Num(F3) → D(F4).

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    theorem Phenomena.Ellipsis.Studies.Saab2026.nominal_external_to_verbal :
    Minimalism.isEPExternal Minimalism.Cat.D Minimalism.Cat.v = true ∧ Minimalism.isEPExternal Minimalism.Cat.Q Minimalism.Cat.T = true ∧ Minimalism.isEPExternal Minimalism.Cat.n Minimalism.Cat.v = true

    Nominal heads are EP-external to verbal projections: a DP in Spec,vP is always EP-external (nominal ≠ verbal).