On augment-less NPs in Xhosa and de NPs in French

Abstract

Augment-less NPs in Xhosa and de NPs like <i>de chevaux</i> ‘of horses’ have strikingly similar properties. It seems that the properties of <i>de</i> NPs reflect the absence of the definite article <i>les</i> which combines with <i>de</i> to form the so-called partitive article <i>des chevaux</i> ‘some horses’. Taking the Xhosa augment to be similar (though not identical) to the French definite article, we account for the observed similarities between augment-less NPs and French <i>de</i> NPs.