ABSTRACT
This chapter argues for a modification of merge and explores the consequences of the modification for the derivational definition of c-command. It attempts to defend the proposal that the characterization of merge given in Chomsky's 'bare phrase structure'. The chapter represents a simplification of merge that is motivated on minimalist grounds and does not lose empirical coverage. It considers some consequences of the proposed simplification of merge for the derivational definition of c-command. Elimination of label (EL) assumes that the subcategorization feature of a head must be checked, where feature checking is accomplished through EL's modified version of the more general feature checking system proposed by Chomsky. EL argues that labels should be eliminated from the representation of phrases, but EL does not address in any detail the derivational operation, namely merge, that produces these representations. The C-command plays a fundamental role in the label-free syntax program initiated by EL.
