In Minimalist Program (Chomsky, 1995) and in Derivation by Phase (DbP) (Chomsky, 2000, 2005, 2008), call it Phase Theory, features enter narrow syntax with predefined values, these values are binary (- or +). I'm aware that Chomsky resorts to Checking Theory (1995), meaning that the functional heads like T, v as well as the lexical elements that enter into Agree relation with like subject & object DP, so that these features are valued ({-values} are deleted at Spell-out).
This way, we get the following features (not all of them):
T: {+EPP/D}, {-phi}
Subject DP (in Spec,vP): {+phi}, {-NOMINATIVE};
v: {-phi}, {+EPP/D} 'for overt object shift languages'
Object DP: {+phi}, {-ACCUSATIVE};
the T probes the goal Subject to value (match, delete..) the features, and so does the v probes the goal object to value the features.
So far so good, my 2 questions are:
- 'how are the values {-NOMINATIVE}, {-ACCUSATIVE}, {-phi}, etc. are set? Is it in the lexicon, as the checking theory (Chomsky, 1995) assumes? Or in the syntax as other views elswhere believe (Borer, 1998, 2005, 2013), Baker (1985), among others?
- What is exactly the opreation DELETE at intefaces? is it that only {-values} are deleted (as I think) or there is more to that?
