Weak crossover and the absence of traces

We provide a new definition of the linear prominence constraints between pronouns and operators (wh-words and quantifiers) which correctly rules out examples that violate weak crossover. Previous analyses of weak crossover relied on the presence of a trace in the extraction site of a wh-question; in contrast, our analysis enables a traceless account of examples previously cited in support of traces. Since no other incontrovertible evidence for traces has been put forward, our account allows a return to the traceless and therefore more constrained account of long-distance binding in LFG proposed by Kaplan and Zaenen (1989).