The aim of the present paper is to provide evidence for the existence, in Kabyle (Berber), of the grammatical role ‘Direct Object’, and to define it using a non-aprioristic, empirical methodology. The definition, based on the analysis of corpus data, involves formal means pertaining to morphology, syntax and prosody. Prosodic segmentation is not only crucial for the definition of the category; it also serves as supporting evidence for the tightness of the relationship between verb and direct object. http://www.periodicos.letras.ufmg.br/index.php/relin/article/view/13049