Three domains of finiteness: a Minimalist perspective

Abstract

Abstract This chapter1 examines the role that the traditional notion of finiteness has played in analyses of clause structure and argument licensing in the development of the Minimalist Programme. I focus on three broad domains: the upper, middle, and lower areas of clause structure which roughly correspond to the A-bar, A, and theta-positions of Government and Binding theory, and their corresponding heads, C, T, and V. Following the general format of this volume, the initial sections are intended as a (selective) reading of recent work on this topic, and I use and extend the conclusions from this in the final section.