phrase-marker (n.) (PM)

A term used in GENERATIVE LINGUISTICS to refer to the STRUCTURAL REPRESENTATION of SENTENCES in terms of a LABELLED BRACKETING, as ASSIGNED by the RULES of the GRAMMAR. Phrase-markers EXPLICITLY specify the HIERARCHICAL structure of sentences, at the various stages of their DERIVATION, and analyze them into a LINEAR SEQUENCE of MORPHEMES, or FORMATIVES. They are usually presented in the form of a TREE diagram, but square brackets are also used.