This paper deals with an explanation of the distributional facts in the prenominal structure Dutch NPs. The discussion will be based on the categorial status of various types of numeral. In English as well as in Dutch, the internal structure of NP’s is quite rigid. The position occupied by the head of the phrase, and the relative positions of the other elements within the NP are severely restricted. Their linear order is strict, and there are very few possibilities of movement in or out of the NP. In the absence of syntactic or semantic restrictions, this paper proposes to adopt an alternative categorial status for numerals that derives support from an analysis of the role of the determiner.