Structural Divergence in NP-Languages: Korean, Japanese and Turkish Compared

doi:10.18627/jslg.40.4.202502.511

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2025 Vol.40, Issue 4 Preview Page

Research Article

Structural Divergence in NP-Languages: Korean, Japanese and Turkish Compared: Yoo, Yong-Suk^1*; ¹Jeonbuk National University

28 February 2025. pp. 511-525

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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.

Keywords

NP-languages

Case

Generative Typology

References

Abney, S. P. 1987. The English Noun Phrase in its Sentential Aspect. Ph.D. dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ahn, S.-H. 1990. Korean Quantification and Universal Grammar. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Connecticut.
Bošković, Ž. 2008. What will you have, DP or NP?. In E. Elfner and M. Walkow (eds.), NELS 37: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the North East Linguistic Society. Amherst, MA: GLSA, 101-114.
Bošković, Ž. 2012. On NPs and Clauses. In M. Richards and A. L. Malchukov (eds.), Distributive Syntax: Locality in the Interfaces. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 33-63.
Bošković, Ž. 2014. Now I’m a Phase, Now I’m Not a Phase: On the Variability of Phases with Extraction and Ellipsis. Linguistic Inquiry 45.1, 27-89. 10.1162/LING_a_00148
Bošković, Ž. and Şener, S. 2014. The Turkish NP. In Crosslinguistic studies on noun phrase structure and reference. Brill, 102-140. 10.1163/9789004261440_006
Chae, H.-S. 1983. On the Syntax of Numerals and Classifiers in Korean. Korean Linguistics 2, 45-68.
Chierchia, G. 1998. Reference to Kinds across Languages. Natural Language Semantics 6.4, 339-405. 10.1023/A:1008324218506
Despić, M. 2011. Syntax in the Absence of Determiners. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Connecticut.
Hale, K. and Bittner, M. 1996. Structural Case and the Nature of the Agreement. In J. Rooryck and L. Zaring (eds.), The View from Building 20: Essays in Linguistics in Honor of Sylvain Bromberger. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 29-67.
Kayne, R. 1994. The Antisymmetry of Syntax. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Kitagawa, Y. and Ross, C. 1982. Prenominal Modification in Japanese and the Structure of the NP. Linguistic Analysis 9.1, 19-53.
Longobardi, G. 1994. Reference and Proper Names: A Theory of N-Movement in Syntax and Logical Form. Linguistic Inquiry 25.4, 609-665.
Saito, M., Lin, T.-H., and Murasugi, K. 2008. N’-Ellipsis and the Structure of Noun Phrases in Chinese and Japanese. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 17.4, 247-271. 10.1007/s10831-008-9026-8
Takahashi, D. 2011. Case, Phases, and N’-Ellipsis in Japanese. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 20.4, 297-328.

Information

Publisher :The Modern Linguistic Society of Korea
Publisher(Ko) :한국현대언어학회
Journal Title :The Journal of Studies in Language
Journal Title(Ko) :언어연구
Volume : 40
No :4
Pages :511-525
DOI :https://doi.org/10.18627/jslg.40.4.202502.511

[1] Abney, S. P. 1987. The English Noun Phrase in its Sentential Aspect. Ph.D. dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

[2] Ahn, S.-H. 1990. Korean Quantification and Universal Grammar. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Connecticut.

[3] Bošković, Ž. 2008. What will you have, DP or NP?. In E. Elfner and M. Walkow (eds.), NELS 37: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the North East Linguistic Society. Amherst, MA: GLSA, 101-114.

[4] Bošković, Ž. 2012. On NPs and Clauses. In M. Richards and A. L. Malchukov (eds.), Distributive Syntax: Locality in the Interfaces. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 33-63.

[5] Bošković, Ž. 2014. Now I’m a Phase, Now I’m Not a Phase: On the Variability of Phases with Extraction and Ellipsis. Linguistic Inquiry 45.1, 27-89. 10.1162/LING_a_00148

[6] Bošković, Ž. and Şener, S. 2014. The Turkish NP. In Crosslinguistic studies on noun phrase structure and reference. Brill, 102-140. 10.1163/9789004261440_006

[7] Chae, H.-S. 1983. On the Syntax of Numerals and Classifiers in Korean. Korean Linguistics 2, 45-68.

[8] Chierchia, G. 1998. Reference to Kinds across Languages. Natural Language Semantics 6.4, 339-405. 10.1023/A:1008324218506

[9] Despić, M. 2011. Syntax in the Absence of Determiners. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Connecticut.

[10] Hale, K. and Bittner, M. 1996. Structural Case and the Nature of the Agreement. In J. Rooryck and L. Zaring (eds.), The View from Building 20: Essays in Linguistics in Honor of Sylvain Bromberger. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 29-67.

[11] Kayne, R. 1994. The Antisymmetry of Syntax. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

[12] Kitagawa, Y. and Ross, C. 1982. Prenominal Modification in Japanese and the Structure of the NP. Linguistic Analysis 9.1, 19-53.

[13] Longobardi, G. 1994. Reference and Proper Names: A Theory of N-Movement in Syntax and Logical Form. Linguistic Inquiry 25.4, 609-665.

[14] Saito, M., Lin, T.-H., and Murasugi, K. 2008. N’-Ellipsis and the Structure of Noun Phrases in Chinese and Japanese. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 17.4, 247-271. 10.1007/s10831-008-9026-8

[15] Takahashi, D. 2011. Case, Phases, and N’-Ellipsis in Japanese. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 20.4, 297-328.

The Journal of Studies in Language ISSN:1225-4770(Print) 2671-6151(Online) 언어연구

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