Merge (linguistics)

In linguistics, particularly in the context of generative grammar and the study of syntax, "Merge" is a fundamental operation proposed by Noam Chomsky in his theory of the minimalist program. Merge is a syntactic operation that combines two elements to create a new structure. There are two types of Merge: 1. **External Merge**: This combines a lexical item (a word or a morpheme) with a structure or another lexical item.