DEPENDENCY CATEGORIAL GRAMMAR AND COORDINATION

This paper proposes a linguistic theory based on dependency relations between words and applies it to the analysis of coordinate constructions. First, we present arguments for ''flexible'' constituency, where constituents may overlap on a single reading of a sentence. In the context of dependency grammar, we then define the theory of dependency constituency, where words that are all linked by dependencies form a constituent, and formalize this approach within categorial grammar. Next we apply this theory to the analysis of coordinate constructions, with the goal of determining what strings of words can be coordinated We survey a range of approaches to coordination, at first concentrating on the assumption that it should only be possible to coordinate constituents of the same category. We show that this account is inadequate even with flexible constituency. Therefore we suggest that coordination may be bound by a parallelism restriction, under which conjuncts must consist of equivalent sequences of constituents, and examine this in relation to various theories of constituency. After considering coordination in dependency grammar, we propose that an adequate account is provided by restricting coordination to equivalent sequences of dependency constituents. Finally, we demonstrate how the conjoined expressions should themselves be analyzed in order to be incorporated into complete sentences.