Logical form (LF)

A term used in a variety of SEMANTIC, SYNTACTIC and logical theories for a LEVEL of REPRESENTATION relevant to semantic interpretation, especially to those aspects of interpretation which play a role in determining ENTAILMENT and other logical relations. In the PRINCIPLES and parameters approach, it refers to the interface between the syntactic and semantic COMPONENTS; LF contains such information as FOCUS, QUANTIFICATION, and THEMATIC structure. In GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY, LF is a representation that derives from S-STRUCTURE by applying MOVEMENT operations (MOVE ALPHA) similar to the one that derives S-structure from D-STRUCTURE. In the MINIMALIST PROGRAMME, LF is the representation that derives from NUMERATION by applying MERGE and MOVE. LF as a level of representation has been questioned in some recent minimalist thinking.