The Structure of the Naandi Determiner Phrase

Abstract

This study analyzed the structure of the Determiner phrase (henceforth DP) in Naandi. Many studies have been carried out that analyze the DP structure of world human languages. In these studies, researches have pointed out that the DP has a very complex structure and is a very important syntactic category in any natural human language thus a fertile area of any linguistic research. Also, it has been noted that many African languages have not been well studied and described and hence there is need for studying these languages. The analysis of the structure of the DP in Naandi thus is of necessity. The main focus of this article therefore, was to identify and describe the elements that occur within the DP in Naandi and outline their linear ordering patterns. The DPs were generated by the researcher based on her intuitive knowledge in Naandi. The findings of this study showed that there are up to eleven elements that can occur within the DP in Naandi. The noun occurs at the initial position whereas determiners and the other modifiers are post-nominal. The dominant attested order is N + [Art. Affix] + [Dem] + [Poss] + [Q] + [Numeral] + [AP] + [GenP] + [PP] + [Rel.C].