Zero (linguistics)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A zero, in linguistics, is a constituent needed in an analysis but not realized in speech. This implies that there is a lack of an element where a theory would expect one. It is usually written "Ø".

There are several kind of zeros.

A zero morph, consisting of no phonetic form, is an allomorph of a morpheme that is otherwise realized in speech. In the phrase two sheep-Ø, the plural marker is a zero morph, which is an allomorph of -s as in two cows. In the phrase I like-Ø it, the verb conjugation has a zero affix, as opposed to the third-person singular present -s in he likes it.
A zero sometimes works also like a pronoun, as in "nobody knows Ø" and "Ø makes no difference." Likewise, the zero in the book Ø I am reading works like the that in the book that I am reading. This is also referred to as PRO.
A zero article is an unrealized definite article in some languages.
A zero copula, in which a copula such as the verb to be is implied but absent. For example, in Russian the copula is usually omitted in the present tense, as in "Она красавица" (literally: She beautiful). In English the copula is sometimes omitted in set phrases, such as "The sooner the better," or in some nonstandard dialects.