CP

CP is the abbreviation of Complementizer Phrase. In generative syntax, CP is the maximal projection of COMP (C⁰). CP is in part an reconstruction in X-bar theory of the categoryp S' (or S-bar).

Comments

Thus the (anomalous) structure generated in (i) (see Chomsky 1981) is replaced by the X-bar structure generated in (ii) (see Chomsky 1986b).

(i)	S'	-->	COMP S

(ii) a	CP	-->	spec,CP  C'
     b	C'	-->	C  IP

Under (i) COMP contains both wh-phrases and the complementizer; under (ii) C is the complementizer position, and spec,CP the position of the wh-phrases.

Link

Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics

References

• Chomsky, Noam A. 1981. Lectures on Government and Binding. Dordrecht:Foris.
• Chomsky, Noam A. 1986. Knowledge of language: its nature, origin and use. Praeger, New York.
• Chomsky, Noam A. 1986b. Barriers. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.