Kannada through the lens of the NP/DP parameter

Abstract

Boškovi?’s (2008, 2012) NP/DP parameter suggests that languages with definite articles are DP language and languages without definite articles are NP languages. However, more recent literature on the topic demonstrates that some article-less languages may be DP languages (see, e.g., Syed and Simpson 2017 on Bangla; Dees 2020 on Dholuo). This paper explores Kannada, an article-less Dravidian language, based on a number of Boškovi?’s NP/DP-divide generalizations. The results demonstrate that Kannada patterns like the NP languages from Boškovi? (2008, 2012). It is then illustrated that Kannada may lack certain movements within the nominal domain that have been associated with other article-less languages which have been proposed as DP languages. These results provide necessary details for better understanding what the NP/DP ‘divide’ looks like cross-linguistically.