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The Structure of Chasu Noun Phrase The University of Dodoma University of Dodoma Institutional Repository http://repository.udom.ac.tz Humanities Master Dissertations 2020 The structure of Chasu noun phrase Ndimangwa, Elihazin Christopher The University of Dodoma Ndimangwa, E. C. (2020). The structure of Chasu noun phrase (Master's dissertation). The University of Dodoma, Dodoma. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/2884 Downloaded from UDOM Institutional Repository at The University of Dodoma, an open access institutional repository. THE STRUCTURE OF CHASU NOUN PHRASE ELIHAZIN CHRISTOPHER NDIMANGWA MASTER OF ARTS IN LINGUISTICS THE UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA DECEMBER, 2020 THE STRUCTURE OF CHASU NOUN PHRASE BY ELIHAZIN CHRISTOPHER NDIMANGWA A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN A PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN LINGUISTICS THE UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA DECEMBER, 2020 DECLARATION AND CERTIFICATION I, Elihazina Christopher Ndimangwa, declare that this dissertation is my original work and that it has not been presented and will not be presented to any other university or conducted elsewhere in a similar manner or any other degree award. Signature........................... No part of this dissertation will be produced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the author or the University of Dodoma. i CERTIFICATION The undersigned certifies that she has read and hereby recommends for the acceptance by the University of Dodoma, a dissertation entitled “The Structure of Chasu Noun Phrase,” in a partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Arts in Linguistics of the University of Dodoma. Dr. Chrispina Alphonce Signature.......... ........................... Date........................................ (Supervisor) ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this work is a result of the assistance I received from several people and it‟s my pleasure to appreciate them. I would like first to thank my ALMIGHTY GOD for strengthening me during the course of this work and for his unmeasured grace which enable me to conduct this study. My second appreciation is due to my supervisor, Dr. Chrispina Alphonce, for her excellent advice, commentary, insight, soft, and directing me to the right direction. She has been good for me and an incredible advisor since the development of concept note, proposal writing, and to the successful completion of this dissertation. I would like also to give my appreciation to my lecturers, Dr. Sebonde Y. Rafiki, Dr. Sane, Dr. Magashi, Dr. Stanslav, Dr. Biseko (HOD), and Dr. Selestino, for their un measured and unforgettable contribution since the whole time of my staying at the University of Dodoma. Sister Agatha, sir Utenga, Sir Elia, thanks a lot for what you have done towards the completion of this work. Kapinga, Victor, Amani, Betrace, Kuta, and Mansour, you will always remain in my heart for your constructive comments on this work any time I needed it, thanks very much (Navahacheni haiwa). Finally, this work would never be completed without acknowledging you, my mama GRACE ABIHUDI MBWAMBO, my sister EMMA, and my young brother Erick, for your moral and material supports. I thank you for being good hearted and supporting me in every step I made towards development of this work. Navahachani haiwa ne Murungu amufwie mbonea. iii DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my beloved daughter, Lauryin Christopher, and my beloved wife, wherever you are. Your presence in my life encouraged me to work hard toward success and, therefore, you have been an important bridge for my success. iv ABSTRACT This study sought to provide a critical analysis of the Structure of Chasu Noun Phrase (NP), specifically, the southern Chasu dialect spoken in Same District of Kilimanjaro Region. The study paid attention on the morph-syntactic properties of Chasu NP, the order of elements of the NP, and constraints which determine the recurrence and co-occurrence of the NP elements. Using qualitative techniques compounded by the descriptive design, data were collected through elicitation, text collection, and direct observations. Introspection was used to supplement information drawing from the researcher‟s own experience as a native speaker of Chasu. The X bar Theory of Phrase Structure by Noam Chomsky (1970), and further developed by Jackendoff (1977) was used to inform the research, particularly on the internal categories of the NP. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data and, thereafter, followed by thick descriptions and discussions. The findings revealed that Chasu NP constitute head with or without dependents. The dependents attested are possessive, demonstrative, distributives, adjectives, associative relatives, quantifiers, numerals, and specifiers. Morover there are intensifiers which modifying adjectives in NP structure. The possessive, and distributives occupy fixed position in the NP order. Distributives occur before the head, and possessive is always placed immediately after the head. Other dependents are flexible, though in complex NP. Other elements can co-occur, except for the distributives and other determiner elements, such as demonstratives and possessives. On the other hand, distributives restrict co-occurrence with general quantifiers. This study calls for a descriptive and comparative study on NP of other undescribed Bantu languages. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION AND CERTIFICATION ............................................................. i CERTIFICATION.................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ........................................................................................................ iv ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ vi LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................. xi ABREVIATIONS .................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER ONE..................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Overview of Chasu Language and its Dialects .................................................. 1 1.2 Background to the Problem ................................................................................ 4 1.3 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................... 6 1.4 Objectives of the Study ...................................................................................... 7 1.4.1 General Objective............................................................................................ 7 1.4.2 Specific Objectives.......................................................................................... 7 1.5 Research Questions ............................................................................................ 7 1.6 Significance of the Study ................................................................................... 7 1.7 Chapter Summary............................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................... 9 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW ................ 9 2.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 9 2.1 Literature Review ............................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 General Overview of the Noun Phrase............................................................ 9 2.1.2 Approaches to Phrase Structure Analysis .................................................... 10 2.1.3 Criteria Used in Identifying the NP Elements............................................... 11 2.1.4 The Structure of the Noun Phrase ................................................................. 12 2.1.5 Structure of the Noun Phrase in Bantu Languages ....................................... 13 vi 2.1.6 Recurrence and Co-occurrence Restriction of Elements in an NP ............... 18 2.1.6.1 Recurrence of NP Elements in Bantu languages........................................ 18 2.1.6.2 Co-occurrence of NP Elements in Bantu Languages ................................. 19 2.1.7 Synthesis and Research Gap ......................................................................... 20 2.2 Theoretical Framework .................................................................................... 21 2.3 Chapter Summary............................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................. 26 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES ................................. 26 3.0 Introduction
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