ABSTRACT
Although it is commonly assumed one of the most characteristic features of the noun phrase (NP) in Bantu languages is that noun dependents tend to appear to the right of the head noun and agree in number and class features with the latter, in many Northwest languages the internal structure of the NP shows more variability. In Nugunu, dependents such as demonstratives, possessives, adjectives, and cardinal numerals can either precede or follow the head noun with more or less subtle differences in meaning. It is shown that agreement within the NP depends on the position of a modifier, whether it precedes or follows the head noun, and on the morphological properties of the dependent, particularly whether its class/gender is specified (i.e. inherent/assigned) or not. This difference correlates with divergences in the readings of structures in which given adnominal elements follow or precede the head noun and, together with the semantics of the modifiers involved in each case, accounts for the order whereby the latter appears to the left of the head noun.
