scholarly journals A Description of Dzә (Jenjo) Nouns and Noun Phrases, an Adamawa Language of Northeastern Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-504
Author(s):  
Peace Benson ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Important Data ◽  
African Languages ◽  
Subject Pronouns ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Reflexive Pronouns ◽  
Preliminary Study

Dzə [jen] is an Adamawa language spoken in some parts of Taraba, Adamawa and Gombe states in Northeastern Nigeria. The study presented in the article syntactically describes nouns and noun phrases in Dzə. In an attempt to document Dzə and taking into consideration that Dzə is an under-investigated and under-documented language, the result will provide important data to typological research and to linguists working on Adamawa languages. The study adopts a descriptive research design in collecting, describing and analyzing the data. The data was obtained from fieldwork in December 2014, personal observations of daily conversations, introspection and the Dzə Bible. In the article, a brief overview of the phonology and tone of Dzə is provided. It also shows the different kinds of nouns, pronouns and noun phrases in Dzə; simple and complex noun phrases. The language is rich in pronouns, consisting of subject pronouns, object pronouns, reflexive pronouns, interrogative pronouns and possessive pronouns. As it is with most African languages, the elements that constitute a noun phrase occur after the head noun. These elements are articles, demonstratives, possessives, adjectives, numerals, quantifiers, genitive constructions (inalienable and alienable possessives) and relative clauses. This is a preliminary study of Dzə and it is open for further research and contributions.

scholarly journals THE SYNTACTIC STRUCTURE OF AWGNI NOUN PHRASES

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-122
Author(s):  
Berhanu Asaye Agajie
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Objective Data ◽  
Lexical Categories ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Verb Phrases ◽  
Labeling Algorithm

The objective of this study is to examine the syntactic structure of Awgni Noun Phrases. The assumption of Labeling Algorithm {XP, H} is holding on, and a descriptive research design was employed to explore the intended objective. Data for this research were enriched by interviewing 12 native speakers of Awgni specializing in the proposed language. Through expert samplings, 20 Noun Phrases were selected and illustrated. Results showed that the Noun Phrases in Awgni could be formed out of the head Nouns all along through other lexical categories reminiscent of the Noun Phrases, Adjective Phrases, Verb Phrases, Determiner Phrases, and Adverb Phrases.  These grammatical items were serving as dependents to the head Nouns. The head Nouns in Awgni are for all time right-headed. These heads are the only obligatory constituents, while the Phrasal categories are optional elements which could be either modifiers or complements to the head Nouns. In this regard, Labeling Algorithm explicitly chooses the contiguous Noun heads that are the label of the complete Syntactic Objects (SOs) anticipated for all Noun Phrase structures.

scholarly journals Noun phrase conjunction in Akan

Pragmatics ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nana Aba Appiah Amfo
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
African Languages ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Historical Origins

Noun phrase conjunction in Akan (Niger-Congo, Kwa) is performed by placing a connective between two noun phrases, but there is some variation in the forms used in the major dialects. In the Twi dialects the connective is ne, but Fante speakers may use nye or na depending on whether a comitative or a coordinative interpretation is intended. This paper focuses on the historical origins of the noun phrase connective n(y)e in Akan. It suggests that Akan patterns with other sub-saharan African languages such as Ewe, Ga, Yoruba and Hausa, which have noun phrase connectives originating from comitative verbs. This suggestion is based on the morpho-semantics of these connectives. In addition, the paper demonstrates that the origin of the connective n(y)e could be further traced to an equative copula in the language. This conclusion is based on syntactic and semantic evidence available in the language and strengthened by the cross-linguistic tendency for copula verbs to develop into noun phrase connectives in a number of unrelated languages.

Towards a unified analysis of Katcha nominal modifiers

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-160
Author(s):  
Darryl Turner
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
African Languages ◽  
Identical Distribution ◽  
Demonstrative Pronouns ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This paper presents a description and analysis of the syntax of nominal modifiers in Katcha. The three main types of nominal modifiers in Katcha, demonstratives, possessive noun phrases and relative clauses, all agree with their head noun in gender, are morphologically marked when their head noun is a peripheral argument of the verb, and can occur in ‘headless’ constructions where there is no overt head noun. In the latter case they have a pronominal interpretation. The paper argues that a unified account of all nominal modifiers can be provided by adopting two premises: firstly, the possessive and relative markers are allomorphs of the proximal demonstrative; secondly, demonstratives in Katcha are pronouns rather than determiners. All nominal modifiers can then be characterized as appositional phrases headed by demonstrative pronouns. This characterization allows the inclusion of the medial and distal pronouns into the system, explaining why they have a different form to all other nominal modifiers, but identical distribution. The final section adds cross-linguistic perspective by discussing the relationship between this analysis of Katcha and the notion of construct state, most familiar in Semitic, but which has been argued to be a concept appropriate to a number of African languages.

scholarly journals Noun Phrase In Minang Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1077
Author(s):  
Akmal Akmal ◽  
Jamaluddin Nasution
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Unique Form ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
The People ◽  
Depth Interview

Phrase structure rules express the basic structural facts of the language in the form of “phrase markers”. This study discussed about the noun phrase in Minangkabau Language. The aim of this study is to find out the noun phrases of Minangkabau Language and how the noun phrases are used in the language. The used method is qualitative research design by interviewing the native speakers of Minangkabau by using the depth interview. the participants are the people who lived in Sukaramai Districts. They were born in Pariaman Districts and they are educated people who understand about the phrase structure.The researcher described the finding data more details. In this study, there are six noun phrase forms in Minangkabau Language and there is one unique form. The noun phrases are implicated in the daily activity of society. In fact, there was a unique noun phrase in Minang Language namely: Noun Phrase (NP) is  N1 + sa + N2.

scholarly journals Case Markers in Mongolian: A Means for Encoding Null Constituents in Noun Phrase and Relative Clause

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Tseden Otgonsuren
Keyword(s):  
Internal Structure ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Relative Clause ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Early Observation ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Case Marker ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Syntactic Function ◽  
Case Markers

This paper focuses on the capacity of the case markers in the Mongolian language, as a relative element, to generate any finite noun phrase or relative clause based on their syntactic function or relationship. In Mongolian, there are two different approaches to generate noun phrases: parataxis and hypotaxis. According to my early observation, if the noun phrase generated through the parataxis, is the complement of the postpositional phrase, the head word of the relevant noun phrase can be truncated. In other words, since this head noun is governed by case marker in its null form to generate the postpositional phrase, the head noun can be encoded.  The second approach generates two different types of noun phrases in their structures: free structured and non-free structured noun phrases. Of them, the free structured noun phrase allows any syntactic transformations in their internal structure based on the senses of the case markers which denote a relation. That is to say, the null constituents in this type of noun phrases can be encoded to generate an extended alternative of the noun phrase and a relative clause.    

The availability of noun properties during the interpretation of novel noun phrases

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina L. Gagné ◽  
Thomas L. Spalding
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Recent Exposure ◽  
Subsequent Processing

The current experiments examine whether recent exposure to a modifier-noun phrase (e.g., unripe peaches) affects the representation of the head noun (e.g, peach). Experiment 1 demonstrates that a property true of the head noun (e.g, sweet) takes longer to verify when preceded by a phrase for which this property is not true (e.g., unripe peaches) than by a phrase for which the property remains true (e.g., orchard peaches). Experiment 2 replicates this finding and, in addition, demonstrates that properties that remain true of both prime phrases (e.g., fuzzy) are equally available during the processing of the head noun. These findings suggest that interpreting a modifier-noun phrase affects the head noun’s representation such that properties that are incompatible with the entire phrase temporarily become less available during subsequent processing of the head noun than do properties that remain compatible with the phrase.

scholarly journals The exponence of caseless NPs in Moksha

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 628
Author(s):  
Polina Pleshak
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Structural Size ◽  
New Findings ◽  
One To One ◽  
The Difference

In this paper, I argue that the difference between indefinite- and definite-declension genitives in Moksha (Uralic) is not in the semantic or referential characteristics of the nominals they mark (as the name suggests), but rather in the syntactic size of the nominals. I show that there is no one-to-one correspondence between the definiteness of a noun phrase and its marking. In particular, indefinite-declension genitives can mark non-specific indefinite as well as specific definite noun phrases. At the same time, indefinite-declension genitives are number-neutral, while definite-declension genitives are specified for number. In contrast to indefinite-declension nominals, definite-declension ones also trigger possessive agreement on the head noun. I analyze indefinite-genitives as NPs and definite-genitives as DPs. Based on what is generally known about DPs, I make several predictions regarding the distribution of the genitives; two definite-declension genitives should be incompatible within one enclosing DP, while there should be no such restriction on the co-occurrence of an indefinite-declension genitive with either another indefinite-declension genitive or a definite-declension genitive. These predictions are borne out, and these new findings enrich the discussion of the ban on the co-occurrence of two DPs which are too close in the structure. More generally, my analysis supports the view that nominals of different structural size can coexist within one language.

scholarly journals The Syntax of Anaphors in Ki-Imenti: A Bantu Language Spoken in Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 223
Author(s):  
Edna Kananu ◽  
Prof. Peter Muriungi ◽  
Dr. Ann Hildah Kinyua
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Binding Theory ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Bantu Language

This paper is an investigation of the distribution of anaphors in Ki-Imenti.  Ki- Imenti is a Bantu language spoken in Meru Central, North Imenti and Buuri sub-counties, Meru County. It is one of the dialects of Kimeru. The objective of this paper is to determine the syntax of anaphors in Ki- Imenti. The study is guided by Chomsky’s Binding Theory. The binding theory divides noun phrases into three basic categories anaphors, pronouns and R-expressions. This theory develops three binding principles to explain the distribution of these noun phrases. These are the binding principle A, binding principle B and binding principle C. This study is only limited to the distribution of anaphors. The study adopts a qualitative study research design as it gives detailed descriptions and explanations of the phenomena studied. The researcher generated the data for the study herself using self-introspection and the data was corroborated by ten native speakers who were purposively sampled. The paper has established that Ki-Imenti conforms to the binding principles. Anaphors are bound in their binding domain, whereby the binding domain is the inflectional phrase or the noun phrase containing the anaphor. This paper will make a contribution to the knowledge of the syntax of anaphors in Ki- Imenti and the description of the syntax of Bantu linguistics in general.

Descriptive Research Design

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Miksza ◽  
Kenneth Elpus
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
The Status ◽  
Scientific Endeavor ◽  
Design Options ◽  
Survey Designs

This chapter presents two of the most prominent approaches to the design of descriptive research in music education. Simply creating depictions of music teaching and learning experiences that are organized and illustrative of the variation that can exist in any given setting is a worthwhile scientific endeavor in and of itself. Descriptive research is most typically an exploration of what is, what exists, and/or the status of any given topic of interest. The first section deals with basic steps in observational research designs, and the second section outlines critical features of survey designs. These fundamental research design options are excellent entry points for emerging scholars and when employed imaginatively can yield many benefits for the profession.

The relative verb forms of Cuwabo (Bantu P34) as contextually oriented participles

Linguistics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 463-491
Author(s):  
Rozenn Guérois ◽  
Denis Creissels
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Bantu Languages ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
The Subject ◽  
North Western

AbstractCuwabo (Bantu P34, Mozambique) illustrates a relativization strategy, also attested in some North-Western and Central Bantu languages, whose most salient characteristics are that: (a) the initial agreement slot of the verb form does not express agreement with the subject (as in independent clauses), but agreement with the head noun; (b) the initial agreement slot of the verb form does not express agreement in person and number-gender (or class), but only in number-gender; (c) when a noun phrase other than the subject is relativized, the noun phrase encoded as the subject in the corresponding independent clause occurs in post-verbal position and does not control any agreement mechanism. In this article, we show that, in spite of the similarity between the relative verb forms of Cuwabo and the corresponding independent verb forms, and the impossibility of isolating a morphological element analyzable as a participial formative, the relative verb forms of Cuwabo are participles, with the following two particularities: they exhibit full contextual orientation, and they assign a specific grammatical role to the initial subject, whose encoding in relative clauses coincides neither with that of subjects of independent verb forms, nor with that of adnominal possessors.

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