ABSTRACT
This chapter develops an SMT-setting in which syntax is purely symmetric generating unordered relations. Dependencies, which are asymmetric in nature, must therefore be established post-syntactically. Labeling is viewed as Transfer rendering symmetric sets invisible to SYN and visible to SEM/PHON by means of a label. Thus, Transfer translates symmetric sets to asymmetric sets entering SEM/PHON. Dependencies based on theta, modification, case, agreement, binding, movement, control, and selection are shown to either be semantic or phonological in nature. Simplest Merge applies content- and also form-blind. Furthermore, it satisfies principles of computational efficiency, such as conservation. Therefore, it does not change the objects it operates on, which entails that symmetric sets cannot be changed to asymmetric sets by Merge (only by Transfer). We furthermore assume that externalization can be viewed as insertion of language-particular items into labeled sets rendering them accessible to phonological interpretation. This yields a simple SMT-architecture in which each component has a clear-cut task: SYN creates symmetric sets. Transfer translates them into asymmetric sets accessible to SEM where semantic dependencies are construed. Finally, insertion of language-particular lexical items translates the resulting sets into objects, which can be targeted by the morpho-phonological rules of the respective particular language.
