ERIC: Education Resources Information Center Skip main navigation

ED105717 - Determination. Working Papers on Language Universals, No. 1.

Help Tutorial Help | Tutorial Help | Tutorial Help With This Page Help With This Page
Record Details

Full-Text Availability Options:

PDF ERIC Full Text (461K)

Click on any of the links below to perform a new search
ERIC #:ED105717
Title:Determination. Working Papers on Language Universals, No. 1.
Authors:Moravcsik, Edith A.
Descriptors:Deep Structure; Determiners (Languages); Form Classes (Languages); Grammar; Language Universals; Nouns; Numbers; Phrase Structure; Pronouns; Sentence Structure; Structural Analysis; Suprasegmentals; Surface Structure; Syntax
Source:N/A
More Info:
Help
Peer-Reviewed:
N/A
Publisher:N/A
Publication Date:1969-11-00
Pages:39
Pub Types:Reports - Research
Abstract:This paper argues that the hypothesis that all languages have a definitization process is empirically refutable, and that use of the terminology "definite" and "indefinite" is justified in that it reflects intuitions of grammarians and linguists. The following statements are tested against evidence from samples of different languages: (1) all noun phrases in a discourse may undergo definitization and turn out definite or indefinite; (2) all pronouns may similarly be marked for definitiveness; (3) at least some relative construction heads are definite; (4) numerated nouns, unless they have undergone the definitization, are indefinite. Following this, there is a discussion of the notion of "article" and how it may be described meaningfully. Appendices include tables of Indonesian articles in relation to pronouns, and of cross-linguistic distribution of some definitiveness markers. (Author/AM)
Abstractor:N/A
Reference Count:0

Note:N/A
Identifiers:N/A
Record Type:Non-Journal
Level:1 - Available on microfiche
Institutions:Stanford Univ., CA. Committee on Linguistics.
Sponsors:N/A
ISBN:N/A
ISSN:N/A
Audiences:N/A
Languages:N/A
Education Level:N/A
 

ERIC Home