gap (n.)

A term used in LINGUISTICS to refer to the absence of a linguistic UNIT at a place in a pattern of relationships where one might have been expected; also called an accidental gap or hole in the pattern. The term occurs especially in SEMANTICS, where a lexical gap can be illustrated by the absence of a male v. female distinction within the term cousin (cf. brother/sister, uncle/ aunt, etc.). An example of a phonological gap would be seen in a language where the PHONEMIC CONTRASTS /p/, /b/ and /t/, /d/ were not matched by a corresponding velar pair, only /k/ being found. A morphological gap can be illustrated by a DEVERBAL noun which does not take the usual -al SUFFIX: *devisal alongside refusal, perusal, proposal, etc.

The term is also used in SYNTAX: an example of a SYNTACTIC gap would be the UNDERLYING DIRECT OBJECT position in Who did you invite –? Gaps are often assumed to contain phonologically EMPTY categories (symbolized as e). A PARASITIC GAP is postulated when the presence of a syntactic gap depends on the prior existence of another gap in the structure of the sentence.