1. The division of labour between the Basque articles in the indefinite domain
- Author
-
Silvie Strauss
- Subjects
definiteness ,specificity ,discourse prominence ,bare nouns ,articles ,Philology. Linguistics ,P1-1091 - Abstract
The usage of the Basque definite and indefinite articles differs significantly from their Romance counterparts. While the definite article is used as a default article for NPs without another determiner, the exact function of the indefinite article in this system has remained somewhat unclear, although specificity has been brought up as a factor. A comparison with Eastern Armenian, which has a threefold definiteness/specificity distinction, in three parallel texts shows that the use of the indefinite article in Basque follows two different systems in different varieties: in the West it is based on discourse prominence and in the East on individuation.
- Published
- 2024
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