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On the presence versus absence of determiners in Malagasy

  • Ileana Paul
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Determiners
This chapter is in the book Determiners

Abstract

This article explores definiteness as expressed by the determiner system of Malagasy. In particular, noun phrases with and without an overt determiner are compared in terms of familiarity, uniqueness, and other semantic notions commonly associated with definiteness. It is shown that the determiner does not uniformly signal definiteness (as typically understood) and that bare noun phrases can be interpreted as either definite or indefinite. The determiner instead signals the familiarity of the discourse referent of the DP and the absence of a determiner signals a non-familiar DP. In certain syntactic positions, however, where the determiner is either required or banned, the interpretation of DPs is underdetermined.

Abstract

This article explores definiteness as expressed by the determiner system of Malagasy. In particular, noun phrases with and without an overt determiner are compared in terms of familiarity, uniqueness, and other semantic notions commonly associated with definiteness. It is shown that the determiner does not uniformly signal definiteness (as typically understood) and that bare noun phrases can be interpreted as either definite or indefinite. The determiner instead signals the familiarity of the discourse referent of the DP and the absence of a determiner signals a non-familiar DP. In certain syntactic positions, however, where the determiner is either required or banned, the interpretation of DPs is underdetermined.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Determiners 1
  5. Part I. The features of determiners
  6. What’s in a determiner and how did it get there? 25
  7. The proper D connection 67
  8. Argumenthood, pronouns, and nominal feature geometry 97
  9. Part II. The function of determiners
  10. From local blocking to Cyclic Agree 123
  11. Kinds of predicates and reference to kinds in Hebrew 159
  12. Part III. Definiteness and beyond
  13. The semantic core of determiners 177
  14. On the presence versus absence of determiners in Malagasy 215
  15. Index 243
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.147.07pau

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Determiners 1
  5. Part I. The features of determiners
  6. What’s in a determiner and how did it get there? 25
  7. The proper D connection 67
  8. Argumenthood, pronouns, and nominal feature geometry 97
  9. Part II. The function of determiners
  10. From local blocking to Cyclic Agree 123
  11. Kinds of predicates and reference to kinds in Hebrew 159
  12. Part III. Definiteness and beyond
  13. The semantic core of determiners 177
  14. On the presence versus absence of determiners in Malagasy 215
  15. Index 243
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