Checking domain

Within checking theory of the Minimalist Program, the checking domain of a head A consists of everything adjoined to it, and of its specifier(s). Formally, the checking domain of a head A is defined as the minimal residue of A. The residue of A is its domain minus its complement domain.

Example

In the following structure (with a head H adjoined to X), the checking domain of X consists of UP, ZP, WP and H. The checking domain of H is UP, ZP and WP.

      XP1
      /\
     /  \
    UP  XP2
       /\
      /  \
    ZP1    X'
   /\      /\
  /  \    /  \
 WP  ZP2  X1  YP
         /\
        /  \
       H   X2

Link

Checking domain in Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics

Reference

• Chomsky, Noam A. 1995. The Minimalist program. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.