fate of SPEC and mutual selection

[Carl Pollard]

Ulli is right about the motivation for SPEC is from German, as far
as syntax goes. But we also needed for English to enable determiners
to have their hands on the CONTENT of their N-bar sisters. See Pollard
and Sag 1994, p. 50. However, if you are doing construction-grammar-
style HPSG, this work can be done in the schema that combines
determiners and N-bars, so SPEC is no longer needed, I believe.

Carl