syntacticantecedent

Syntactic antecedent is a term used in linguistics to denote the noun phrase that provides the referent for a pro-form, such as a pronoun or an anaphor, within a sentence or broader discourse. The antecedent is determined by the syntactic structure and binding relations rather than solely by meaning or context. Identifying the syntactic antecedent is essential for explaining how languages link forms to their intended referents across clauses and phrases.

In generative syntax, the relation between a pro-form and its antecedent is analyzed with binding theory. This theory posits structural constraints that determine which expressions can serve as antecedents for a given pro-form. A common framework distinguishes reflexives, pronouns, and referential expressions: reflexive pronouns (like himself or herself) must be bound within their local domain (Principle A); ordinary pronouns must be free in their local domain (Principle B); and proper names or definite descriptions must not be bound in the relevant domain (Principle C). The exact domain is typically a minimal governing category defined by c-command relations in the syntax.

Examples illustrate the concept. In John said that Mary would arrive, and he did too, the pronoun he has John as its syntactic antecedent. In John washed himself, the reflexive himself has John as its local antecedent. Cross-clausal antecedents can occur as well, though they are constrained by the binding relations just described.

Applications of the notion include coreference resolution in natural language processing, syntactic parsing of pronouns and anaphors, and cross-linguistic studies of how different languages encode antecedent–anaphor relationships. Some languages also feature additional or differing anaphoric systems, but the core idea remains: a syntactic antecedent is the syntactic source of reference for a pro-form.