Chapter 3 - Projection of noun Phrases II: Modification

Summary

Introduction

Section 1.1.2 has suggested that the internal structure of the DP can be represented as in (1), where the determiner D and the noun N are the heads of the °projections DP and NP, respectively. The dots indicate the positions available for possible other elements, that is, for °modifiers and °complements. The present section is concerned with the various forms of modification of the NP; for a detailed discussion of complementation in the NP the reader is referred to Chapter 2, and for a discussion of modifiers in the DP to Chapter 7. The relation between the two nouns in binominal constructions like een reep chocola ‘a bar [of] chocolate’ is of a different nature, and is discussed in Chapter 4.

(1) [_DP … D … [_NP … N ….] ]

Apart from the obligatory head noun and its (optional or obligatory) complements, each noun phrase may contain one or more modifiers. These modifiers can be categorized according to their function, form and position.

Restrictive and non-restrictive modifiers

Modifiers can have either a restrictive or a nonrestrictive function. Restrictive modifiers restrict the denotation of the head noun and thus provide information that is required for the proper identification of the referent of the DP as a whole; we will therefore assume that they are part of the NP-domain, as in (2a). Non-restrictive modifiers, on the other hand, do not restrict the denotation of the head noun and thus do not provide information that is required for the identification of the referent of the entire DP. Rather, they provide more information about the intended referent of the DP, and we will therefore assume that non-restrictive modifiers modify the complete noun phrase; they are part of the DP-domain, and external to the NPdomain as in (2b).

(2) a. [_DP … D … [_NP MOD_restrictive [N (complement)] MOD_restrictive]]

b. [DP … D … MOD_{non-restrictive} [NP N (complement)] MOD_{non-restrictive}]

Non-restrictive modifiers are usually easily recognizable: they are separated off from their head by a specific intonation pattern (in written language by means of a comma), thus reflecting the loose relationship between head and non-restrictive modifiers. Restrictive modifiers, on the other hand, may be hard to distinguish from complements; for a discussion of the differences between restrictive modifiers and complements, see Section 2.2.1 (for PPs) and Section 2.3.3 (for clauses).