Which is the extended projection above N?

Abstract

This chapter challenges Abney's (1987) influential idea that D is the main functional head of the nominal constituent and rethinks old evidence to propose that the highest functional head in the nominal constituent is Q. The consequence of this reasoning is that articles, as well as other determiners, do not necessarily head a projection but can occur in a functional specifier. This proposal is not only relevant to the issue of the nature of the extended nominal projection but also has a general methodological import on the definition of "functional head". © 2012 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.