On plurals, noun phrase and num(ber) in Moroccan Arabic and Djibouti Somali

Mohamed Lahrouchi (1) , Nicola Lampitelli (2)

1 SFL - Structures Formelles du Langage
2 LLL - Laboratoire Ligérien de Linguistique

In this paper, we focus on plural nouns in two Afroasiatic languages: Moroccan Arabic and Djibouti Somali. Within a syntactic approach to word formation, we show that not all plurals are located in the same syntactic position. In Moroccan Arabic, one plural results from the merger of a root with the head n, whereas the other realizes a feature on the number head. In a similar way, Somali displays two suffixal plurals, which realize two distinct syntactic structures. One suffix is associated to numP and behaves as a regular plural suffix; in contrast, the other suffix is analyzed as a bound root that selects for xPs (nP or numP) containing the feminine gender.

Mots clés: morphology; syntax; plurals; Moroccan Arabic; Djibouti Somali

Domaines: Linguistique

Mohamed Lahrouchi, Nicola Lampitelli. On plurals, noun phrase and num(ber) in Moroccan Arabic and Djibouti Somali. Sabrina Bendjaballah; Noam Faust; Mohamed Lahrouchi; Nicola Lampitelli. The Form of Structure, the Structure of Form: Essays in honor of Jean Lowenstamm, John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp.303-314, 2014, 9789027208293. ⟨hal-01133259⟩