The Syntax of Ad-Positional Phrases in English and Urdu: Insights from X-Bar Theory and Theta Criterion

Abstract

The present research work compares English and Urdu adpositional phrases (AdPs) through the light of X-bar theory and Theta Criterion. X-bar theory which is a component of generative grammar encompasses a bar-level structure where every phrase is built around a head and where particular projections (maximal, intermediate and minimal) are well defined by syntactic principles. Integral to this theory is the Theta Criterion which guarantees that a particular argument in the sentence does not occupy more than a single theta role, which its semantic relationship with the head. The present research is limited strictly to the adpositional phrases in both languages (realised as prepositional phrases in English and postpositional phrases in Urdu) in an effort to understand the differences in their phrasal projections, argument-head relation, and conformity to the Theta Criterion. The study also shows the similarities and differences in the structural organization, theta-role assignment, and differences in case systems, agreement and null arguments. The result of this research extends the analysis of X-bar theory and the Theta Criterion in operation to these syntax differences, and provides further understanding of the structural features of these two languages. The study, therefore, re-echoes the need to combine syntactic analysis with morphology, semantics and pragmatics in order to have an all rounded approach to cross-linguistic differences in AdPs.

Keywords: Ad-Positional Phrases, Phrasal Projection, Argument-head Relation, Theta Criterion