Functional Categories in the Arabic DP

Abstract

Arabia) Abstract ： In this paper, I discuss the basic structure of the determiner phrase in Standard Arabic. I show that this phrase houses three different categories that can project distinct functional heads beside the noun. These categories include: DP, GenP, and NumP. I argue that the noun undergoes cyclic movement to the left of GenP and NumP in order to check its unvalued features. The long-distance probe-goal relation cannot be established in this context due to intervention effects raised by the functional heads. However, the definiteness feature on the DP is valued in-situ, without resorting to movement, hence the appearance of this marker is a prefix on the noun. Thus, a new analysis of the determiner phrase in SA is proposed in terms of cyclic movement and probe-goal relation, where both operations are triggered by unvalued features on the noun. The new analysis can successfully account for the different features on the noun as well as the split of morphological markers on the noun as prefixes and suffixes. I claim that structural nominative/accusative Case on the head noun in the Arabic DP is licensed by higher functional heads, i.e. v and T. However, I argue that the genitive construction in Standard Arabic is mediated by a Poss head that has unvalued features and can license Case. The genitive Case on the complement noun is assigned by the Poss head as a reflex of establishing a probe-goal relation. The proposed position for the Poss head accounts for the inexplicable absence of the definiteness marker on the head noun, as well as the Case morphology mismatch between the head noun and the genitive