The Morpho-Syntax of the Noun Phrase in Sisaali

Abstract

This study examines the morpho-syntactic properties of the noun phrase in Sɩsaalɩ, a Gur language spoken in Ghana, with emphasis on the internal components of the noun phrase and how these elements are distributed in the phrase. The study examines the elements of both the simple and complex noun phrases. It shows that the Sɩsaalɩ noun phrase has an obligatory head and optional modifiers that may occur as post-nominal or pre-nominal elements. The study also gives a detailed discussion on the Sɩsaalɩ relative clause as a modifier of the head noun. It shows how relative clauses are marked in Sɩsaalɩ and the various elements that are present in the Sɩsaalɩ relative clause. The grammatical positions that are accessible to relativization have been discussed. It also points out the position of the relativized noun in the embedded clause and the elements that can occur with the relativized noun. The study further shows the position of the relative clause when it occurs with other modifiers of the head noun. There are dialectal differences as far as the internal constituents of the noun phrase are concerned and this study points out dialectal variations that occur in Sɩsaalɩ with regard to the internal constitutes of the Sɩsaalɩ noun phrase