D-linking (n.)

In GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY, an abbreviation for discourse-linking, a notion introduced to account for apparent ISLAND violations affecting certain WH-phrases (as in What did which man buy? v. *What did who buy?) which are assumed not to MOVE in LOGICAL FORM. Wh-phrases with which are called D-linked: these presuppose that the answer is picked from a set with a fixed number of members, and they display properties different from other wh-phrases – for example, SUPERIORITY violations are suppressed with D-linked wh-questions, as in What did which man buy? v. *What did who buy? D-linked wh-phrases are typically which-phrases; sometimes ARGUMENT wh-phrases such as who or what can be D-linked; but ADJUNCTS cannot be D-linked.