The Structure of DPs: Some Principles, Parameters, and Problems

The investigation of the internal structure of nominal constructions has recently provided important evidence for at least three aspects of syntactic theory: a) the syntactic representation of empty categories b) the deductive depth of parameter theory c) the form of the syntax-semantics mapping The results so achieved begin to provide a preliminary reference framework for parametric descriptions of Determiner Phrases across the world's languages: they concern both the lexical structure and the functional structure surrounding head nouns and will be examined in turn.