THE HISTORICAL EMERGENCE OF DP IN ENGLISH

Abstract

In this paper I discuss the English NP and its diachronic development into DP via the introduction of a D-system within nominals. Since NPs are inherently predicative, and N has a R (eferential)-role, that R-role must be bound, if NP is to be used as an argument. Either a functional category D or morphological case binds the R-role. Since there was no DP in OE, and the status of nominal projections was NP, morphological case bound the R-role. When morphological case disappeared, a syntactic D-system was introduced to bind the R-role. I also argue that the languages of the world might be described in terms of these two, a D-system and morphological case.