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Feature Indeterminacy and Feature Resolution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2026

Mary Dalrymple  and
Ronald M. Kaplan
Mary Dalrymple*
Affiliation:
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
Ronald M. Kaplan*
Affiliation:
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
*
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center Palo Alto, CA 94304 [dalrymple@parc.xerox.com] [kaplan@parc.xerox.com]
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center Palo Alto, CA 94304 [dalrymple@parc.xerox.com] [kaplan@parc.xerox.com]
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Abstract

Syntactic features like case, person, and gender are often assumed to have simple atomic values that are checked for consistency by the standard predicate of equality. The case feature has values such as nom or acc, and values like masc and fem are assumed for the feature gender. But such a view does not square with some of the complex behavior these features exhibit. It allows no obvious account of feature indeterminacy (how a particular form can satisfy conflicting requirements on a feature like case), nor does it give an obvious account of feature resolution (how person and gender features of a coordinate noun phrase are determined on the basis of the conjuncts). We present a theory of feature representation and feature checking that solves these two problems, providing a straightforward characterization of feature indeterminacy and feature resolution while sticking to structures and standard interpretations that have independent motivation. Our theory of features is formulated within the LFG framework, but we believe that similar solutions can be developed within other syntactic approaches.

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Type
Research Article
Information
Language , Volume 76 , Issue 4-1 , December 2000 , pp. 759 - 798
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 Linguistic Society of America

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