The syntax of the Arabic DP

This thesis provides a minimalist account of the Arabic DP. The data used comes
from Modern Standard Arabic and Makkan Arabic, a spoken variety used in Saudi
Arabia. Using two varieties provides a more complete picture of Arabic DPs and
sheds light on the relationship between standard and spoken Arabic.
I argue that head-to-spec movement takes place in all Arabic DPs and that this
movement is a cyclic, minimalist alternative to standard Head Movement. I claim
that the basic differences between Simple DPs and Free States on the one hand and
Construct States on the other are derivable from the D projected in each structure;
definite or indefinite D are projected in the former and Construct State D in the latter.
I analyse Construct States headed by a number of categories: nouns, quantifiers,
nominalised adjectives, numerals and verbal nouns. I claim that the similarities
between these constructs are due to the use of Construct State D, and the special
behaviour of each type is a reflection of the category of the head projected below D. I
propose that the Arabic lexicon is rich and I present evidence for some complex word
formation processes. Moreover, I propose that complex adjectives, often referred to
in the related literature as Adjectival Constructs, which show a mixture of adjectival
and construct properties, are adjectival compounds formed in the lexicon. I also
argue that Verbal Noun Construct States in Modern Standard Arabic may be formed
either in the lexicon or in the syntax, and that each option is associated with different
structures and modificational patterns. Moreover, I claim that the restrictions on
Verbal Noun Construct States in Makkan Arabic are a result of this variety having
only lexically formed Verbal Nouns.