DP MOVEMENT IN ENGLISH AND NAIJA

Abstract

Determiner Phrase (DP) movement plays a crucial role in the description and learning of human languages such as English and an emergent language like Naija. Previous studies on syntax of Naija examined relativisation, phrase structure and question formation, with little attention paid to DP movement in Naija, which is important for understanding semantic interpretation in the language and may pose challenges to the learning of English among L1 speakers of Naija. This study, therefore, explores possible realisations of DP-movement in English and Naija, examining their areas of convergence and divergence in terms of the derivations that trigger DP movement, their syntactic features and patterns. Noam Chomsky's Minimalist Program served as the framework. Using a qualitative research approach, English data were drawn from selected English syntax textbooks authored by first language users of English, while Naija sentences were extracted from BBCNaija articles. Data gathered were subjected to syntactic analysis. The findings reveal that DP movement in both languages is triggered by passivisation, DP raising, ergativity and middle constructions. While clefting also triggers DP movement in English, such derivation is not permissible in Naija. As an alternative, Naija allows focusing, achieved through the focus marker 'na'. DP movement in both languages is constrained by Extended Projection Principle, case licensing, and locality conditions. While English permits DP raising, Naija employs periphrastic (e-be-like-say) structures. Passivisation is permissible in Naija through the application of non-Perf 'dey' as last resort. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of movement syntax in contact languages, reinforcing the role of economy and feature checking in syntactic derivation. Naija exhibits greater structural flexibility, often substituting movement with alternative strategies.