kernel (adj./n.)

A term used in early GENERATIVE GRAMMAR to refer to a type of STRUCTURE produced by the PHRASE-STRUCTURE RULES of a grammar. The output of these rules is a kernel string. The basic type of SENTENCE generated from this string without any OPTIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS (as defined in the Syntactic Structures MODEL, e.g. NEGATIVE or PASSIVE) is a kernel sentence – corresponding to the SIMPLE, ACTIVE, AFFIRMATIVE DECLARATIVE (SAAD) sentences of LANGUAGE. The term kernel clause is also sometimes used.