bindingprincipes

Bindingprincipes, in English often called binding principles, are a foundational set of constraints in binding theory, a branch of generative grammar. They govern how reflexive expressions, pronouns, and referential expressions relate to their antecedents in a sentence. The standard formulation identifies three core principles. Principle A states that an anaphor must be bound within its local binding domain, typically the smallest clause containing the anaphor and its potential binder; this requires a local antecedent that c-commands the anaphor. Principle B states that a non-reflexive pronoun must be free in its binding domain; the pronoun cannot be bound by an antecedent within the same domain, though it may be bound by antecedents outside it, allowing long-distance binding. Principle C states that a referential expression (like a name or definite description) must be free; it cannot be bound by an antecedent outside its binding domain. Binding domains are usually the minimal clause or DP that contains both the potential binder and the expression in question, evaluated by c-command relations. Across languages, the principles account for patterns of how reflexives and pronouns distribute themselves and predict certain ungrammatical structures. The theory was introduced in the Government and Binding framework in the 1980s by Noam Chomsky and has been developed further in later Minimalist approaches. While influential, binding principles are subject to cross-linguistic variation and competing analyses, and remain a central topic in syntax and computational linguistics.