The study examines the status of functional elements in the noun phrase, with special reference to articles, demonstratives and quantifiers. It takes its bearings from generative theories on the structure of the noun phrase, notably Abney's DP analysis. In the course of the discussion theories on lexical and functional categories in the noun phrase are modified. There is also an outline of the acquisition of initial quantifiers in infant speech. Finally, the language acquisition data are drawn upon to make out a case for a minimalist noun phrase structure, accepting only D and Q as (not necessarily universal) functional heads in the noun phrase.