The fine structure of numeral expressions

This research project aims at providing a thorough study of numeral expressions within the extended nominal system, from both a theoretical and a (micro- and macro-)comparative-typological perspective. According to most current analyses of DP-internal numerals, numerals are functional heads (Q/NUM) which, through the operation Merge, combine with the lexical projection NP. By considering a much broader variety of syntactic constructions featuring numerals, this projects will provide a detailed and systematic analysis of the syntax and semantics of DP-internal numeral expressions. The working hypotheses are: (i) numerals have lexical properties; (ii) numerals display predicative behavior; (iii) numerals undergo DP-internal (predicate) displacement within the nominal system. Another central goal of this research project will be to identify and analyze points of grammatical diversity that relate to the morphosyntax of DP-internal numeral expressions. By taking both a macro-comparative and a micro-comparative perspective this study will uncover more fine-grained aspects of linguistic diversity in the nominal system. This project will contribute to our understanding of (i) the phrasal (including functional) architecture of the nominal system, (ii) the semantic interpretation of that system, (iii) the nature of displacement operations within the nominal system, and (iv) the nature of grammatical diversity in the nominal domain.