International Journal of Language & Linguistics

The Structure of Noun Phrase in Kambari Language-Nigeria
Muhammad, Abubakar; Dantata, Aliyu Ibrahim

Abstract
This paper examines and identifies the distribution and interpretation of the various canonical NP types in Kambari language. This is done with a view to identify its morpho-syntactic properties within the purview of Binding Theory as outlined by Chomsky. The study owes its motivation to the fact that Binding Theory cut across all human languages and thus, is an essential aspect of formal linguistics, which has hitherto helped to identify the core principles of Universal Grammar. We find Kambari language to be from different language phyla with all languages in Europe and Asia, yet its NPappears to pattern in the same way in many respects with some languages. We argue that Kambari language satisfy the same Binding Conditions encoded in the Classical Binding Theory. Despite its appearance,Kambari morphology diverges with some languages. However, Kambari reflexives are bimorphemic. First, Kambari anaphors (reflexives) agree with their antecedents only in person and number since it lacks gender distinction. Second, Kambari displays, what appears prima facie to be double antecedents, somewhat an unconventional morphological property whose grammatical role is at present unclear. Finally, empirical evidence has shown that reciprocals are nonexistent in Kambari.

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