phrase (n.) (P)
A term used in GRAMMATICAL analysis to refer to a single ELEMENT of STRUCTURE typically containing more than one WORD, and lacking the SUBJECT–PREDICATE structure typical of CLAUSES); abbreviated as P in such combinations as NP (= noun phrase), PP (= prepositional phrase), etc. Traditionally, it is seen as part of a structural HIERARCHY, falling between clause and word, several types being distinguished, e.g. ‘ADVERB phrase’ (e.g. very slowly, . . . ), ‘ADJECTIVAL phrase’ (e.g. the house, old and derelict, . . . ), ‘PREPOSITIONAL phrase’ (e.g. in the morning, . . . ). In GENERATIVE grammar, the term has a broader function, being used as part of a general characterization of the initial stage of analysis (PHRASE-STRUCTURE GRAMMAR, PHRASE-MARKER, PROJECTION) and of the analytic units involved (NOUN PHRASE, VERB PHRASE). In GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY, clauses are a special kind of phrase, as CP=S′ and IP=S (‘complementizer phrase’ and ‘inflection phrase’ respectively). A distinction is drawn between lexical phrases, such as NP and VP, which are built around lexical heads, and functional phrases, such as IP and CP, which are built around functional heads and which are not required to contain lexical material.
