principles (n.)

A term used in GRAMMATICAL theory for grammatical statements that are much broader in their scope than ordinary RULES, such as the PROJECTION principle of GOVERNMENT-BINDING (GB) THEORY and the FOOT-feature principle of GENERALIZED PHRASE-STRUCTURE GRAMMAR. Principles are particularly important in GB, where it has been suggested that there are no rules, in the traditional sense, but only principles which can take a slightly different form in different LANGUAGES. A specification of the range of forms that a principle can take is known as a PARAMETER. The overall approach is known as the principles and parameters (P&P, PPT) theory of UNIVERSAL grammar, as seen in GB and the MINIMALIST PROGRAMME.