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The ‘Noun Phrase’ across Languages: An emergent unit in interaction
Edited by Tsuyoshi Ono and Sandra A. Thompson
[Typological Studies in Language 128] 2020
► pp. 329–362

Chapter 13
Robust argument phrases (DPs) but unruly NPs in Maa

| University of Oregon | SIL International

Maa (sometimes referred to as Maasai) discourse and syntax largely require determined phrases. NP is not a robust construction in Maa, partly because ‘noun’ is not highly distinguished morphosyntactically from ‘adjective.’ Either can be a syntactic argument just if preceded by a determiner; ‘ablity to serve as an argument’ does not correspond to a lexical N or NP category. The paper proposes a definition of ‘determiner’, which includes Maa demonstratives and gender+number proclitics. The latter do not signal identifiability, givenness, or referentiality. Gender is not lexical feature of most noun/adjective stems, but is specified by whatever determiner is used. The determiners appear to help hearers cognitively establish a referent based on attributed gender (sometimes at the moment of speech), and make a phrase able to serve as an argument.

Article outline
  • 1.The problem and background
  • 2.Data and methodology
  • 3.Definitional challenges
    • 3.1Common criteria for ‘noun’ and ‘noun phrase’
    • 3.2Criteria for ‘determiner’
  • 4.The Maa determiner function
  • 5.Properties of Maa word bases that refer and modify
    • 5.1Properties that group time-stable and Type I property-concept terms
    • 5.2Order within the nominal phrase template
      • 5.2.1Immediately after a determiner
      • 5.2.2Lexemes in Position 1 or Position 2
      • 5.2.3Order after the noun within the nominal phrase template
    • 5.3Complement of a ‘be’ verb
    • 5.4Perfect(ive) aspect morphology, inchoative aspect morphology, and morphological causative morphology
    • 5.5Modification by olêŋ ‘very’
  • 6.Maa DPs as arguments and referring phrases in discourse
    • 6.1Maa DPs as arguments and in syntax
    • 6.2Maa proclitic determiners in discourse
    • 6.3Contexts in which determiners are omitted
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 15 July 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.128.13pay
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