Structural Divergence in NP-Languages: Korean, Japanese and Turkish Compared
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This study investigates the nominal syntax of three article-less languages—Japanese, Korean, and Turkish— challenging the assumption of uniformity among so-called “NP-languages.” While these languages lack overt articles, they diverge significantly in their structural configurations, particularly concerning the presence or absence of a dedicated Case Projection (KP) above the NP. Drawing on insights from Bošković (2008, 2012, 2014), Despić (2011), and Takahashi (2011), I argue that Japanese consistently projects a KP, Turkish entirely lacks KP, and Korean occupies a transitional position: it employs Turkish-like NP structures with bare numerals but adopts Japanese-like KP projections when numerals combine with classifiers. Evidence for these distinctions comes from word order, binding phenomena, and partial ellipsis tests, including possessor-stranding NP-ellipsis. This analysis reveals that NP-languages are far more heterogeneous than previously recognized. Korean’s dual nominal configurations offer critical insights into cross-linguistic variation and morphological triggers, broadening our understanding of generative typology and the syntax of article-less languages
Abstract
This study investigates the nominal syntax of three article-less languages—Japanese, Korean, and Turkish— challenging the assumption of uniformity among so-called “NP-languages.” While these languages lack overt articles, they diverge significantly in their structural configurations, particularly concerning the presence or absence of a dedicated Case Projection (KP) above the NP. Drawing on insights from Bošković (2008, 2012, 2014), Despić (2011), and Takahashi (2011), I argue that Japanese consistently projects a KP, Turkish entirely lacks KP, and Korean occupies a transitional position: it employs Turkish-like NP structures with bare numerals but adopts Japanese-like KP projections when numerals combine with classifiers. Evidence for these distinctions comes from word order, binding phenomena, and partial ellipsis tests, including possessor-stranding NP-ellipsis. This analysis reveals that NP-languages are far more heterogeneous than previously recognized. Korean’s dual nominal configurations offer critical insights into cross-linguistic variation and morphological triggers, broadening our understanding of generative typology and the syntax of article-less languages.