On the left periphery of the Kirundi noun phrase

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the structure of Kirundi nominals and the elements that appear on their left periphery, in particulardemonstratives, the locative prefixes mu, ku and i, and the nominal linker na. We analyze these structures from the perspective of the phonology-syntax interface. We show that the Universal Spine Hypothesis, which assumes a fixed order of the functional categories inside the nominal, allows us to explain both the syntactic properties and phonological realization of nominals and demonstrative, locative and linker phrases. We conclude that all of these elements have different syntactic statuses and semantic roles in the nominal structure, despite some previous claims in the literature. Our proposal also adds to the typological picture of the structure of nominal and locative phrases and the role of the augment in Bantu.