The DP hypothesis through the lens of Japanese nominal collocation constructions

In Japanese, bare noun phrases can refer to the object that is introduced in a previous context, whereas in English, the definite article is required for a common noun phrase to refer. The research question of this discussion is whether Japanese syntactically projects a determiner phrases (DP) although it does not have an article such as the in English. If Japanese does not project DP unlike English, the definiteness of referential arguments needs to be parameterized in syntax and in semantics. On the other hand, if Japanese projects DP, it suggests that DP is part of Universal Grammar (UG) and thus that no parameterization is called for. This thesis presents three pieces of evidence to support the DP hypothesis for Japanese by examining nominal collocation constructions such as watasitati 3-nin 'we three' and watasitati sensei 'we professors'.;In Chapter 2, the first argument stems from specificity effects. In Japanese numeral classifiers (NCs) cannot float away from personal pronouns. Likewise, NCs cannot get raised outside the associated bare noun phrases when the noun phrases possess definite interpretations. This implies that Japanese projects DP and that the DP blocks NCs from moving outside.;In Chapter 3, examination of the internal structure of nominal collocation constructions is conducted. The grouping of personal pronouns and common noun phrases is ungrammatical when the common noun phrases have a plural marker and occur prenominally with the genitive marker. Moreover, NCs cannot appear prenominally with the genitive marker when the noun phrases involve personal pronouns unlike in the case of common noun phrases. Based on the argument of the nominal predication hypothesis due to the former property, the ungrammaticality of the second property is argued in terms of D feature on DP, in favor of the DP hypothesis.;In Chapter 4, the left periphery of nominal collocation constructions is investigated. The fact that not all noun phrases allow for adjunction is explained in terms of the ban on adjunction to DP.;If these arguments are correct, this suggests that DP is part of UG and that in Japanese the lack of a determiner is only due to morpho-phonological reasons.