The Definite Article in Swahili

Abstract

This paper contributes to the debate on whether or not Swahili  nominals have overt determiners to qualify for DP analysis. It has been  concluded in some circles that Swahili nominals are not amenable to  DP analysis for lacking determiners €“ definite articles. It is assumed in  this paper that what appear to be articleless DPs in Swahili areunderlyingly headed by the D node which always remains empty except  in cases when D is occupied by the prenominal demonstratives base  generated in a lower position inside the DP structure. The strongest  evidence in Swahili comes from asymmetries between prenominal and  postnominal demonstratives whereby the prenominal demonstratives  are said to be anaphoric and postnominal demonstratives deictic.  Assuming that the prenominal demonstrative is base generated below D, the conclusion must be that the demonstrative appears in theprenominal position following the raising.Key words: Swahili nominals, DP analysis, definite article, articleless DPs in Swahili, pronominal demonstratives, postnominal demonstratives, DP structure