Journal of Universal Language
Sejong University Language Research Institue
Article

Is nP Part of Universal Grammar?

Paweł Rutkowski1,
1University of Warsaw
Corresponding Author : Paweł Rutkowski, Faculty of Polish Studies, University of Warsaw, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, Gmach Polonistyki, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland. Phone: +48225520869; Email: p.rutkowski@uw.edu.pl

Copyright ⓒ 2016, Sejong University Language Research Institue. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received: Sep 03, 2012; Revised: Sep 15, 2012; Accepted: Sep 18, 2012

Published Online: Jan 01, 2017

Abstract

Rutkowski & Progovac (2005) propose to analyze the postnominal placement of classifying adjectives in Polish as resulting from N-movement. Rutkowski (2007a) modifies this account by arguing for a special structural layer (nP) projected immediately above NP, whose head (n°―‘little’ or ‘light’ N) attracts the noun in classifying structures. The goal of the present paper is to discuss the status of nP in more detail and to extend the nP analysis to other nominal constructions―both in Polish and crosslinguistically.

Keywords: nP; little/light N; classifying adjectives; indefinite pronouns; pseudopartitives; classifiers; diminutives

REFERENCES

1.

Abney, S. 1987. The English Noun Phrase in its Sentential Aspect. Ph.D Dissertation. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

2.

Cetnarowska, B. et al. 2011. Distribution of Classificatory Adjectives and Genitives in Polish NPs. In K. Dębowska- Kozłowska & K. Dziubalska-Kołaczyk (eds.), On Words and Sounds: A Selection of Papers from the 40th PLM, 2009 280-310. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

3.

Cheng, L. & R. Sybesma. 1999. Bare and Not-So-Bare Nouns and the Structure of NP. Linguistic Inquiry 30, 509-542.

4.

Chierchia, G. 1998. Reference to Kinds across Languages. Natural Language Semantics 6, 339-405.

5.

Cinque, G. 1994. On the Evidence for Partial N Movement in the Romance DP. In G. Cinque et al. (eds.), Paths towards Universal Grammar: Studies in Honor of Richard S. Kayne 85-110. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press.

6.

Grimshaw, J. 1991. Extended Projection. Ms., Brandeis University.

7.

Grimshaw, J. 2005. Words and Structure. Stanford, CA: CSLI Publications.

8.

Guéron, J. 2006. Generic Sentences and Bare Plurals. In S. Vogeleer & L. Tasmowski (eds.), Non-Definiteness and Plurality 219-234. Amsterdam & Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

9.

Hankamer, J. & L. Mikkelsen. 2008. Definiteness Marking and the Structure of Danish Pseudopartitives. Journal of Linguistics 44, 317-346.

10.

Julien, M. 2002. Determiners and Word Order in Scandinavian DPs. Studia Linguistica 56, 264-315.

11.

Jurafsky, D. 1996. Universal Tendencies in the Semantics of the Diminutive. Language 72, 533-578.

12.

Kishimoto, H. 2000. Indefinite Pronouns and Overt N-Raising. Linguistic Inquiry 31, 557-566.

13.

Koptjevskaja-Tamm, M. 2001. 'A Piece of the Cake' and 'a Cup of Tea': Partitive and Pseudo-Partitive Nominal Constructions in the Circum-Baltic Languages. In Ö. Dahl & M. Koptjevskaja-Tamm (eds.), Circum-Baltic Languages Volume II: Grammar and Typology 523-568. Amsterdam & Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

14.

Li, Y. 1999. Plurality in a Classifier Language. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 8, 75-99.

15.

Pereltsvaig, A. 2007. The Universality of DP: A View from Russian. Studia Linguistica 61, 59-94.

16.

Rutkowski, P. 2007a. The Syntactic Properties and Diachronic Development of Postnominal Adjectives in Polish. In R. Compton et al. (eds.), Formal Approaches to Slavic Linguistics: The Toronto Meeting 2006 326-345. Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan Slavic Publications.

17.

Rutkowski, P. 2007b. The Syntactic Structure of Grammaticalized Partitives (Pseudo-Partitives). In T. Scheffler et al. (eds.), University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics 13.1, 337-350.

18.

Rutkowski, P. 2009. Fraza przedimkowa w polszczyźnie. Warsaw: Wydział Polonistyki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.

19.

Rutkowski, P. & L. Progovac. 2005. Classification Projection in Polish and Serbian: The Position and Shape of Classifying Adjectives. In S. Franks et al. (eds.), Formal Approaches to Slavic Linguistics: The South Carolina Meeting 2004 289-299. Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan Slavic Publications.

20.

Rutkowski, P. 2006. Classifying Adjectives and Noun Movement in Lithuanian. In C. Yim (ed.), Minimalist Views on Language Design: Proceedings of the 8th Seoul International Conference on Generative Grammar 265-277. Seoul: Hankook/Korean Generative Grammar Circle.

21.

Rutkowski, P. & K. Szczegot. 2001. On the Syntax of Functional Elements: Numerals, Pronouns, and Expressions Indicating Approximation. In A. Przepiórkowski & P. Bański (eds.), Generative Linguistics in Poland: Syntax and Morphosyntax 187-196. Warsaw: IPIPAN.

22.

Sio, J. 2006. Modification and Reference in the Chinese Nominal. Utrecht: LOT.

23.

Stickney, H. 2004. The Pseudopartitive and its Illusory Projections. Ms., University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

24.

Stickney, H. 2007. From Pseudopartitive to Partitive. In A. Belikova et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the 2nd Conference on Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition North America 406-415. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.

25.

Watanabe, A. 2006. Functional Projections of Nominals in Japanese: Syntax of Classifiers. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 24, 241-306.

26.

Willim, E. 2000. Some Aspects of the Grammar and Interpretation of Adjectival Modification. In P. Bański & A. Przepiórkowski (eds.), Generative Linguistics in Poland 156-167. Warszawa: Instytut Podstaw Informatyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk.

27.

Willim, E. 2001. On NP-Internal Agreement: A Study of Some Adjectival and Nominal Modifiers in Polish. In G. Zybatow et al. (eds.), Current Issues in Formal Slavic Linguistics 80-95. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

28.

Wiltschko, M. 2006. Why Should Diminutives Count? In H. Broekhuis et al. (eds.), Organizing Grammar: Linguistic Studies in Honor of Henk van Riemsdijk 669-678. Berlin & New York: Mouton de Gruyter.