本篇論文探討越南語的名詞組結構，包含名詞前修飾語（pre-nominal modifiers）和名詞後修飾語（post-nominal modifiers）的結構。越南語中的數量詞、複數標記（the plural markers），以及態度標記（the attitudinal marker cái) 為名詞前修飾語，而關係子句、形容詞、介系詞詞組、所有格詞組和指示詞為名詞後修飾語。
在名詞後修飾語的部分，我以Kayne (1994) 的理論來分析越南語中的關係子句、形容詞，和介系詞詞組，其中後兩者的句法結構我認為是縮略型關係子句（reduced relative clauses）。此外，Simpson 2005論文中對指示詞提出一個可能的分析方法，也就是指示詞位於D的中心語（head）位置，我在本論文中採用此分析。另外，我認為所有格詞組為D中心語（head）上的附加語（adjunct）。而不同修飾語在名詞組中的位置可以以句法結構及語意差異來解釋。
在名詞前修飾語的部分，我採納Nguyen (2004) 對量詞（classifiers）、複數標記，及態度標記（the attitudinal marker cái）的句法分析。而數量詞（numerals and quantifiers），我則根據NP-ellipsis的證據提出不同的分析。

In this work, I discuss the syntactic structure of nominal modifiers in Vietnamese, including pre-nominal modifiers and post-nominal modifiers. Pre-nominal modifiers include classifiers, numerals, quantifiers, the plural markers những and các, and the attitudinal marker cái (also called the extra cái or the focus marker cái). Post-nominal modifiers include relative clauses, possessives, adnominal adjectives, prepositional phrases, and demonstratives.
First, I analyze relative clauses, adnominal adjectives, and post-nominal PPs in Kayne’s (1994) approach and adopt an analysis of demonstratives provided in Simpson 2005. For possessives, I assume it is an adjunct in DP.
Second, I adopt the proposal of classifiers, the plural markers những and các, and the attitudinal marker cái from Nguyen 2004 and postulate a different analysis for the syntactic structure of numerals and quantifiers based on the evidence of NP ellipsis.

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

Chapter 2 Literature review
2.1 Nguyen 2004 3
2.2 Simpson and Ngo 2018 18
2.3 Saito et al. 2008 20
2.4 Kayne 1994 25

Chapter 3 Post-nominal modifiers
3.1 Relative clauses 28
3.2 Adnominal adjectives 30
3.3 Prepositional phrases 34
3.4 Possessives 36
3.5 Demonstratives 42
3.6 Summary 49

Chapter 4 Pre-nominal modifiers
4.1 Classifiers 51
4.2 Numerals 55
4.3 The first type of quantifiers: vài ‘some’ and mấy ‘several’
60
4.4 The second type of quantifiers: tất cả ‘all’ and toàn bộ ‘all’ 62
4.5 The plural markers những and các 65
4.6 The attitudinal marker cái 68
4.7 Summary 74

Chapter 5 Conclusion and discussion 76
References 79

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