Determiner Phrases in Nyakyusa
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SAUT
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The study examined Determiner Phrases in Nyakyusa. Some of the previous works on Nyakyusa
(e.g Lusekelo 2009) has just described noun phrases in Nyakyusa with other constituents that
modify it including determiners. The fact is that, determiners are considered as head of phrases
and take complements just like other phrases.
The specific objectives which guided the study were three; to describe types of determiners in
Nyakyusa, to find out the DP structure rules in Nyakyusa and to explain the syntactic functions
of DPs in Nyakyusa. In this study data was collected by using questionnaire, schedules,
conversation and documentary review. The respondents were selected both; purposively and
conviniently hence, respondents with wider knowledge in both two languages; Nyakyusa and
Swahili who were easily to be found were highly considered.
The findings revealed that determiners in Nyakyusa head phrases with the independent structure
rules of their own, determiners are also grouped into their belonging types and they also have the
syntactic functions just like other phrases. This is to say; DPs in Nyakyusa were found to be
independent phrases with the same quality as other phrases.
The study concluded that DPs in Nyakyusa also have the capability to head phrases and take
complements like other phrases this is due to the findings which revealed the two structure rules
in which DPs in Nyakyusa have. Also, having the capability to have their own syntactic
functions it means that DPs in Nyakyusa deserve the quality of being independent phrases.
The study recommended that, there is a need for other researchers to work on DP movement not
only in Nyakyusa but also to other Bantu languages. The similar study can also be done to other
Bantu languages and see how does this works
Keywords
Nyakyusa Phrases