Definiteness
Definiteness is the concept expressed by definite articles such as "the", and also by other expressions such as demonstratives ("this", "that") and personal pronouns. This textbook surveys such expressions in the many languages of the world, and also examines the theoretical literature on this aspect of grammar, to establish what definiteness is and how languages can express it.
- Unique coverage of languages and the literature; such detailed combination of the comparative and theoretical is rare
- Accessible to students and non-specialists, without being over-simple
- Makes original and far-reaching proposals
Product details
March 1999Paperback
9780521368353
404 pages
228 × 151 × 25 mm
0.742kg
7 b/w illus.
Available
Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. Basic observations
- 2. Simple definites and indefinites
- 3. Complex definites and indefinites
- 4. Some semantic and pragmatic distinctions
- 5. Interaction with other grammatical phenomena
- 6. Definiteness effects
- 7. Defining definiteness
- 8. Definiteness and noun phrase structure
- 9. Diachronic aspects
- References.
