chain (n.)

In COMMUNICATION studies, a term used to describe a MODEL which presents the communicative act as an interrelated sequence of stages between a speaker and a receiver. With reference to speech (the speech chain), the model usually distinguishes psychological, neurological, physiological and anatomical stages of sound production, an acoustic stage of transmission, and anatomical, physiological, neurological and psychological stages of sound reception.

In GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY, a chain refers to a sequence of SYNTACTIC elements subject to the same specific conditions, as shown by government and CO-INDEXING: a_i¹ , a_i² ... a_iⁿ , where each a is ANTECEDENT-governed. In this example, a_i¹ is the head of the chain, a_iⁿ is the foot or tail; and each adjacent pair is a link. It represents the history of movement, and retains an important role in the MINIMALIST PROGRAMME. A MOVED CONSTITUENT and its CO-INDEXED TRACES form a chain. A chain is an A-chain if a_i¹ is in an A-position, and an A-bar-chain if it is in an A-bar-position. The principle governing the linking of chains is called the chain formation principle or chain condition: every chain created by movement of an ARGUMENT must contain just one THETA-marked position and just one CASE-marked position. Movement of an ADJUNCT also creates a chain, but does not have theta-marked position or Case-marked position. A CHAIN is a generalization of the notion to handle EXPLETIVE– ARGUMENT pairs, such as There_i is a car_i in the garage.

In historical PHONOLOGY, a situation where a series of sound changes take place, each one influencing the next. Two directions of movement are possible. When the process begins at the top or front end of an ARTICULATORY dimension, empty slots are left in the chain which other sounds move up to fill: a drag chain. When the process begins at the bottom or back end of the chain, each sound ‘pushes’ the next one out of place: a push chain. The Great Vowel Shift in English is often cited as a classical example of a chain movement (or chain shift) in operation.

In SYNTAX, a term used to describe CLAUSE combinations in languages where the distinction between CO-ORDINATION and SUBORDINATION does not easily apply. In a clause-chaining language (such as the Papuan language, Hua), identity or lack of identity between the SUBJECTS of successive clauses is marked by verb INFLECTION.

In SOCIOLINGUISTICS, a continuing sequence of QUESTION/answer exchanges in a conversation; also referred to as chaining.