Phrasal Proper Names in German and Norwegian

Abstract This paper discusses the morpho-syntax of phrasal proper names like Deutsche Bahn ‘German Railway’ and Norske Skog ‘Norwegian Forest’ in German Norwegian. As regards determiner elements, there are three types German: some do not have a definite article, do, yet others exhibit possessive. Depending on syntactic context, first two pattern same as presence or absence article but contrast with third, where possessive is always present. It proposed that vary their structure DP-level: unlike articles, possessives referential marker, DP obligatorily projected latter element. Norwegian different. While also determiners, no flexibility—determiners present absent, independent context. German, DP-level argued by Roehrs (Glossa J Gen Linguist, 5(1):1–38, 2020, https://doi.org/10.5334/gjgl.1267 ), involve regular derivation. Given elements DPs sensitive to definiteness Norwegian, it an obligatory feature. this feature surfaces DP-level, must be language all instances. Besides cross-linguistic difference, we document PN may show features recursivity evidenced most clearly