A′-movement

noun

Movement of a constituent to a non-argument position, such as a specifier, as in topicalization or wh-movement.

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Meanings

nounA′-movement (uncountable)

alternative A-bar movement · alternative A' movement

  1. uncountablehuman sciencesMovement of a constituent to a non-argument position, such as a specifier, as in topicalization or wh-movement.

Origin

From A-movement, with the prime symbol (′), also read as "bar" (see X-bar theory), denoting a non-argument position. Named such because A′-movement targets positions that are not A-positions.

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Cite this entry
APA

A′-movement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/A%E2%80%B2-movement

MLA

“A′-movement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/A%E2%80%B2-movement. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “A′-movement,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/A%E2%80%B2-movement.

Source: A′-movement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.