anaphor (n.)

A term used in GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY to refer to a type of NOUN PHRASE which has no independent REFERENCE, but refers to some other sentence CONSTITUENT (its ANTECEDENT). Anaphors include REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS (e.g. myself), RECIPROCAL pronouns (e.g. each other), and NP-TRACES. Along with PRONOMINALS and LEXICAL noun phrases (R-EXPRESSIONS), anaphors are of particular importance as part of a theory of BINDING: in this context, an anaphor must be bound in its GOVERNING category (‘condition A’). The term has a more restricted application than the traditional term ANAPHORIC.