Abstract
Japanese allows the numeral + classifier combination to appear in a variety of positions in relation to the head noun. This paper argues that it is necessary to posit at least four functional projections above NP (#P, CaseP, QP, and DP) and massive phrasal movement of such functional projections in order to provide a principled account for the structural diversity of the numeral + classifier combination in Japanese. New evidence from minimizer expressions and pseudopartitives, which have not been systematically investigated before, is brought to bear on details of the analysis. Japanese is an excellent testing ground for exploring the nature of the noun-related functional projections, because some of them, such as #° and Case°, are argued to be overtly realized (#° as a classifier and Case° as a case particle
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Joseph Aoun Y.-H. Audrey Li (1993) ArticleTitle‘On Some Differences between Chinese and Japanese Wh-elements’ Linguistic Inquiry 24 365–372
Filippo Beghelli Tim Stowell (1997) ‘Distributivity and Negation’ A. Szabolcsi (Eds) Ways of Scope Taking Kluwer Dordrecht 71–107
Judy. Bernstein (1991) ArticleTitle‘DPs in French and Walloon: Evidence for Parametric Variation in Nominal Head Movement’ Probus. 3 101–126
Judy. Bernstein (1997) ArticleTitle‘Demonstratives and Reinforcers in Romance and Germanic Languages’ Lingua 102 87–113 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0024-3841(96)00046-0
Judy. Bernstein (2001a) ‘The DP Hypothesis: Identifying Clausal Properties in the Nominal Domain’ M. Baltin C. Collins (Eds) The Handbook of Contemporary Syntactic Theory Blackwell Oxford 536–561
Judy. Bernstein (2001) ArticleTitle‘Focusing the “Right” Way in Romance Determiner Phrases’ Probus. 13 1–29
Maria Bittner Ken Hale (1996) ArticleTitle‘The Structural Determination of Case and Agreement’ Linguistic Inquiry. 27 1–68
Hagit. Borer (2005) Structuring Sense NumberInSeriesvol. I Oxford University Press Oxford
Juan Carlos. Castillo (2001) Thematic Relations between Nouns University of Maryland College Park
Lisa Lai-Shen Cheng Rint Sybesma (1998) ArticleTitle‘Yi-wan Tang, Yi-ge Tang: Classifiers and Massifiers’ The Tsing Hua Journal of Chinese Studies, New Series. 28 385–412
Lisa Lai-Shen Cheng Rint Sybesma (1999) ArticleTitle‘Bare and Not-So-Bare Nouns and the Structure of NP’ Linguistic Inquiry 30 509–542
Gennaro. Chierchia (1998a) ArticleTitle‘Reference to Kinds across Languages’ Natural Language Semantics. 6 339–405 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008324218506
Gennaro. Chierchia (1998b) ‘Plurality of Mass Nouns and the Notion of “Semantic Parameter”, In: Rothstein S. (eds) Events and Grammar Kluwer Dordrecht 53–103
Noam. Chomsky (1995) ‘Categories and Transformations’ N. Chomsky (Eds) The Minimalist Program MIT Press Cambridge 219–394
Noam. Chomsky (2000) ‘Minimalist Inquiries’ R. Martin D. Michaels J. Uriagereka (Eds) Step by Step: Essays on Minimalist Syntax in Honor of Howard Lasnik MIT Press Cambridge, MA 89–155
Noam. Chomsky (2001) ‘Derivation by Phase’ M. Kenstowicz (Eds) Ken Hale: A Life in Language MIT Press Cambridge, MA 1–52
Nobert. Corver (1998) ‘Predicate Movement in Pseudopartitive Constructions’ A. Alexiadou C. Wilder (Eds) Possessors, Predicates and Movement in the Determiner Phrase John Benjamins Amsterdam 215–257
Molly. Diesing (1992) Indefinites MIT Press Cambridge, MA
Jenny Doetjes (1997) Quantifiers and Selection: On the Distribution of Quantifying Expressions in French, Dutch and English Leiden University Leiden
Jenny Doetjes Johan Rooryck (2003) ‘Generalizing over Quantitative and Qualitative Constructions’ M. Coene Y. D’hulst (Eds) From NP to DP John Benjamins Amsterdam 277–295
David Embick Rolf Noyer (2001) ArticleTitle‘Movement Operations after Syntax’ Linguistic Inquiry. 32 555–595 Occurrence Handle10.1162/002438901753373005
Mürvet. Enç (1991) ArticleTitle‘The Semantics of Specificity’ Linguistic Inquiry. 22 1–25
Steven. Franks (1994) ArticleTitle‘Parametric Properties of Numeral Phrases in Slavic’ Natural Language and Linguistic Theory. 12 597–674 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00992929
Naoya. Fujita (1994) On the Nature of Modification: A Study of Floating Quantifiers and Related Constructions University of Rochester Rochester
Naoki. Fukui (1986) A Theory of Category Projection and its Applications MIT Cambridge
Naoki. Fukui Hiromu. Sakai (2003) ArticleTitle‘The Visibility Guideline for Functional Categories: Verb Raising in Japanese and Related Issues’ Lingua: 113 321–375
Naoki. Fukui Yuji Takano (1998) ArticleTitle‘Symmetry in Syntax: Merge and Demerge’ Journal of East Asian Linguistics. 7 27–86 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008240710949
Naoki. Fukui Yuji Takano (2000) ‘Nominal Structure: An Extension of the Symmetry Principle’ P. Svenonius (Eds) The Derivation of VO and OV John Benjamins Amsterdam 219–254
David. Gil (1995) ‘Universal Quantifiers and Distributivity’ E. Bach E. Jelinek A. Kratzer B.H. Partee (Eds) Quantification in Natural Languages Kluwer Dordrecht 321–362
Giuliana. Giusti (1995) ‘A Unified Structural Representation of (Abstract) Case and Article: Evidence from Germanic’ H. Haider S. Olsen S. Vikner (Eds) Studies in Comparative Germanic Syntax Kluwer Dordrecht 77–93
Morris. Halle Alec Marantz (1993) ‘Distributed Morphology and Pieces of Inflection’ K. Hale S.J. Keyser (Eds) The View from Building 20 MIT Press Cambridge, MA 111–176
Harada, Shin-Ichi. 1976. Quantifier Float as a Relational Rule, Metropolitan Linguistics 1, 44–49. Reprinted in N. Fukui (ed.), Syntax and Meaning: S. I. Harada Collected Works in Linguistics, Taishuukan, Tokyo, 2000, pp. 339–345.
Daniel. Harbour (2003) Elements of Number Theory MIT Cambridge, MA
Ken. Hiraiwa (2001) ‘Multiple Agree and the Defective Intervention Constraint’ O. Matushansky E. Gurzoni (Eds) The Proceedings of the HUMIT 2000, MIT Working Papers in Linguistics 40 MIT Cambridge, MA 67–80
Helen Hoop Particlede (1992) Case Configuration and Noun Phrase Interpretation University of Groningen Groningen
Kazuko. Inoue (1978) Nihongo-no Bunpou Kisoku Taishuukan Tokyo
Tania Ionin Ora Matushansky (2004) ‘The Non-Existence, Syntax, and Semantics of Numerals’, handout of a paper presented at Nouns and Pronouns Free University Berlin
Yasuo. Ishii (1991) Operators and Empty Categories in Japanese University of Connecticut Storrs
Yasuo. Ishii (1999) ‘A Note on Floating Quantifiers in Japanese’ M. Muraki E. Iwamoto (Eds) Linguistics: In Search of the Human Mind Kaitakusha Tokyo 236–267
Ray. Jackendoff (1977) X-bar Syntax MIT Press Cambridge, MA
K.A. Jayaseelan (2001) ArticleTitle‘Questions and Question-word Incorporating Quantifiers in Malayalam’ Syntax. 4 63–93 Occurrence Handle10.1111/1467-9612.00037
Marit. Julien (2002) ArticleTitle‘Determiners and Word Order in Scandinavian DPs’ Studia Linguistica. 56 264–314 Occurrence Handle10.1111/1467-9582.00094
Akira. Kamio (1977) ArticleTitle‘Suuryoushi-no Shintakkusu’ Gengo. 6 IssueID8 83–91
Akira. Kamio (1983) ‘Meishiku-no Kouzou’ K. Inoue (Eds) Nihongo-no Kihon Kouzou Sanseidou Tokyo 77–126
Ruriko. Kawashima (1994) The Structure of Noun Phrases and the Interpretation of Quantificational NPs in Japanese Cornell University Ithaca
Ruriko. Kawashima (1998) ArticleTitle‘The Structure of Extended Nominal Phrases: The Scrambling of Numerals, Approximate Numerals, and Quantifiers in Japanese’ Journal of East Asian Linguistics. 7 1–26 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008252101049
Chisato Kitagawa Claudia N.G. Ross (1982) ArticleTitle‘Prenominal Modification in Chinese and Japanese’ Linguistic Analysis. 9 19–53
Hisatsugu. Kitahara (1993) ‘Numeral Classifier Phrases inside DP and the Specificity Effect’ S. Choi (Eds) Japanese/Korean Linguistics 3 CSLI Publications Stanford 171–186
Masatoshi. Koizumi (1995) Phrase Structure in Minimalist Syntax MIT Cambridge, MA
Masatoshi. Koizumi (2000) ArticleTitle‘String Vacuous Overt Verb Raising’ Journal of East Asian Linguistics. 9 227–285
Jaklin. Kornfilt (1996) ‘Naked Partitive Phrases in Turkish’ J. Hoeksma (Eds) Partitives Mouton de Gruyter Berlin 107–142
Paul. Law (1998) ‘A Unified Analysis of P-stranding in Romance and Germanic’ In: Proceedings of NELS 28, GLSA University of Massachusetts Amherst 219–234
Yen-HuiAudrey. Li (1999) ArticleTitle‘Plurality in a Classifier Language’ Journal of East Asian Linguistics. 8 75–99 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008306431442
Jo-Wan. Lin (1998a) ArticleTitle‘Distributivity in Chinese and its Implications’ Natural Language Semantics. 6 201–243 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008299031574
Jo-Wan. Lin (1998b) ArticleTitle‘On Existential Polarity Wh-phrases in Chinese’ Journal of East Asian Linguistics. 7 219–255 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008284513325
Elisabeth. Löbel (1989) ‘Q as a Functional Category’ C. Bhatt E. Löbel C. Schmidt (Eds) Syntactic Phrase Structure Phenomena John Benjamins Amsterdam 133–187
Giuseppe. Longobardi (2001) ‘The Structure of DPs: Some Principles, Parameters, and Problems’ M. Baltin C. Collins (Eds) The Handbook of Contemporary Syntactic Theory Blackwell Oxford 562–603
Alec. Marantz (1984) On the Nature of Grammatical Relations MIT Press Cambridge, MA
Alec. Marantz (1988) ‘Clitics, Morphological Merger, and the Mapping to Phonological Structure’ M. Hammond M. Noonan (Eds) Theoretical Morphology Academic Press San Diego 253–270
Shigeru. Miyagawa (1989) Structure and Case Marking in Japanese Academic Press San Diego
Keiko. Muromatsu (1998) On the Syntax of Classifiers University of Maryland College Park
Kimiko. Nakanishi (2003) ‘Semantic Properties of (Non-)Floating Quantifiers and their Syntactic Implications’ W. McClure (Eds) Japanese/Korean Linguistics NumberInSeriesvol. 12 CSLI Publications Stanford 365–376
Taisuke. Nishigauchi (1990) Quantification in the Theory of Grammar Kluwer Dordrecht
Barbara. Partee (1995) ‘Quantificational Structures and Compositionality’ E. Bach E. Jelinek A. Kratzer B. Partee (Eds) Quantification in Natural Languages Kluwer Dordrecht 541–601
Norvin. Richards (1997) What Moves Where When in Which Language? MIT Cambridge, MA
Norvin. Richards (2001) Movement in Language: Interactions and Architectures Oxford University Press Oxford
Elizabeth. Ritter (1991) ‘Two Functional Categories in Noun Phrases: Evidence from Modern Hebrew’ S. Rothstein (Eds) Perspectives on phrase structure: heads and licensing Academic Press New York 37–62
Kumi Sadakane Masatoshi Koizumi (1995) ArticleTitle‘On the Nature of the “Dative” Particle. Ni in Japanese’ Linguistics. 33 5–33
Sauerland, Uli, KazukoYatsushiro. (2004). ‘A Silent Noun in Partitives’. In: Proceedings of NELS 34, GLSA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, pp. 101–112.
Elisabeth. Selkirk (1977) ‘Some Remarks on Noun Phrase Structure’ P. Culicover T. Wasow A. Akmajian (Eds) Formal Syntax Academic Press New York 285–316
Ur. Shlonsky (1991) ArticleTitle‘Quantifiers as Functional Heads: A Study of Quantifier Float in Hebrew’ Lingua. 84 159–180 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0024-3841(91)90069-H
Halldór Ármann. Sigurðsson (1993) ArticleTitle‘The Structure of the Icelandic NP’ Studia Linguistica. 47 178–197
Andrew. Simpson (2005) ‘Classifiers and DP Structure in South East Asia’ G. Cinque R. Kayne (Eds) Handbook of Comparative Syntax Oxford University Press Oxford 806–838
Rint. Sybesma (1992) Causatives and Accomplishments Leiden University Leiden
Anna. Szabolcsi (1997) ‘Strategies for Scope Taking’ A. Szabolcsi (Eds) Ways of Scope Taking Kluwer Dordrecht 109–154
Daiko. Takahashi (2002) ArticleTitle‘Determiner Raising and Scope Shift’ Linguistic Inquiry. 33 575–615 Occurrence Handle10.1162/002438902762731772
Yasukuni. Takano (1984) ArticleTitle‘The Lexical Nature of Quantifiers in Japanese’ Linguistic Analysis. 14 289–311
Yuji. Takano (2002) ArticleTitle‘Surprising Constituents’ Journal of East Asian Linguistics. 11 243–301 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1016011311546
Jane. Tang (1990) ArticleTitle‘A Note on the DP analysis of Chinese Noun Phrase’ Linguistics. 28 337–354
Tateishi, Koichi. (1989). ‘Subjects, SPEC, and DP in Japanese’. In Proceedings of NELS 19, GLSA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, pp. 405–418.
Michiko. Terada (1990) Incorporation and Argument Structure in Japanese University of Massachusetts Amherst
W.-T. Dylan. Tsai (1994) On Economizing the Theory of A-bar Dependencies MIT Cambridge, MA
W.-T. Dylan. Tsai (1999) ArticleTitle‘On Lexical Courtesy’ Journal of East Asian Linguistics. 8 39–73 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008354312243
Daniel. Valois (1991) The Internal Syntax of DP UCLA Los Angeles
Akira. Watanabe (1992) Wh-in-situ, Subjacency, and Chain Formation MIT Cambridge MA
Akira. Watanabe (2000) ‘Absorption: Interpretability and Feature Strength’ K. Inoue (Eds) Researching and Verifying an Advanced Theory of Human Language Kanda University of Internaitonal Studies Chiba 253–296
Akira. Watanabe (2001) ‘Wh-in-situ Languages’ M. Baltin C. Collins (Eds) The Handbook of Contemporary Syntactic Theory Blackwell Oxford 203–225
Akira. Watanabe (2004a) ArticleTitle‘Parametrization of Quantificational Determiners and Head-Internal Relatives’ Language and Linguistics. 5 59–97
Akira. Watanabe (2004) ArticleTitle‘The Genesis of Negative Concord: Syntax and Morphology of Negative Doubling’ Linguistic Inquiry. 35 559–612 Occurrence Handle10.1162/0024389042350497
Yamakido, Hiroko. (2000). ‘Japanese Attributive Adjectives are not (All) Relative Caluses’, Proceedings of WCCFL 19, CSLI Publications, Stanford, pp. 588–602.
Kazuko. Yatsushiro (2001) ‘The Distribution of Mo and Ka and its Implications’ M.C Cuervo D. Harbour K. Hiraiwa S. Ishihara (Eds) Formal Approaches to Japanese Linguistics 3 MIT Cambridge, MA 181–198
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
*Various parts of this paper were presented at a talk at Tohoku Gakuin University in December 2001, at Linguistics and Phonetics 2002 at Meikai University in September 2002, at the 20th Conference of the English Linguistic Society of Japan held at Aoyama Gakuin University in November 2002, at a talk at York University in December 2002, at WAFL 1 at MIT in May 2003, GLOW in Asia at Seoul National University in August 2003, at a talk at Kwansei Gakuin University in September 2003, and the 55th Meeting of the Chuubu branch of the English Literary Society of Japan at Kinjo Gakuin University in October 2003. I would like to thank the audiences there, including, but not limited to, Jun Abe, Kazuma Fujimaki, Naoki Fukui, Kazuhiko Fukushima, Kook-Hee Gill, Anders Holmberg, Yasuo Ishii, Masa Koizumi, Shigeru Miyagawa, David Pesetsky, Norvin Richards, Henk van Riemsdijk, Mamoru Saito, Daiko Takahashi, Yuji Takano, Satoshi Tomioka, George Tsoulas, Hiroyuki Ura, and Dong-Whee Yang. I am also grateful to anonymous reviewers, Jun Abe, Lisa Cheng, Marcel den Dikken, Yukio Furukawa, Hironobu Kasai, Yuki Kuroda, Takashi Munakata, Uli Sauerland, Hiroyuki Ura, and Kazuko Yatsushiro for comments and/or discussions at various stages.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Watanabe, A. Functional Projections of Nominals in Japanese: Syntax of Classifiers*. Nat Lang Linguist Theory 24, 241–306 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11049-005-3042-4
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11049-005-3042-4