The rivalry between definiteness and specificity
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Fuyo Osawa
Abstract
This paper addresses the question of why Present-day English (hereafter PDE) grammaticalized definiteness, but not specificity, as a D head. Two semantic properties are involved in the use of nominals: [definite] and [specific]. Definiteness means that a nominal marked as [+definite] indicates that the speaker assumes that the hearer shares the speaker’s presupposition of the existence of an individual. The specific reading is characterized by the certainty of the speaker about the identity of the referent. Specificity is knowledge only held by the speaker. The PDE article system is based on definiteness, while specificity is not involved in article choice in English. This is puzzling because investigations of language acquisition have shown that article choice is cross-linguistically based on specificity rather than definiteness, irrespective of learners’ first language. Thus, specificity seems to be more suitable for a D head. I propose two reasons why the PDE article system is based on definiteness. Firstly, person properties were encoded into the D head since definiteness is to be assimilated to the category of person. Another reason, which I only hint at in this paper, might be intersubjectification: the shift of attention from the speaker to the hearer. Specificity involves the speaker only, while definiteness marking involves both the speaker and the hearer. These two are essential processes of grammaticalization, i.e. DP emergence.
Abstract
This paper addresses the question of why Present-day English (hereafter PDE) grammaticalized definiteness, but not specificity, as a D head. Two semantic properties are involved in the use of nominals: [definite] and [specific]. Definiteness means that a nominal marked as [+definite] indicates that the speaker assumes that the hearer shares the speaker’s presupposition of the existence of an individual. The specific reading is characterized by the certainty of the speaker about the identity of the referent. Specificity is knowledge only held by the speaker. The PDE article system is based on definiteness, while specificity is not involved in article choice in English. This is puzzling because investigations of language acquisition have shown that article choice is cross-linguistically based on specificity rather than definiteness, irrespective of learners’ first language. Thus, specificity seems to be more suitable for a D head. I propose two reasons why the PDE article system is based on definiteness. Firstly, person properties were encoded into the D head since definiteness is to be assimilated to the category of person. Another reason, which I only hint at in this paper, might be intersubjectification: the shift of attention from the speaker to the hearer. Specificity involves the speaker only, while definiteness marking involves both the speaker and the hearer. These two are essential processes of grammaticalization, i.e. DP emergence.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Major trends in research on the English NP 1
-
Determination, modification & complementation
- Refining and re-defining secondary determiners in relation to primary determiners 27
- The rivalry between definiteness and specificity 79
- Post-head compression in noun phrase referring expressions 107
- From noun to verb 135
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Shell nouns & the X-is construction
- Shell nouns as epistemic stance devices in English 171
- Constructional variation and change in N-is focaliser constructions 205
- Premodification in X-is constructions 235
-
Binominal constructions
- From an icy hell of a night to a hell of a fine story 279
- Time-measurement constructions in English 311
- Day to day and night after night 363
- Coordinated phrases as dvandvas 395
- Index 429
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Major trends in research on the English NP 1
-
Determination, modification & complementation
- Refining and re-defining secondary determiners in relation to primary determiners 27
- The rivalry between definiteness and specificity 79
- Post-head compression in noun phrase referring expressions 107
- From noun to verb 135
-
Shell nouns & the X-is construction
- Shell nouns as epistemic stance devices in English 171
- Constructional variation and change in N-is focaliser constructions 205
- Premodification in X-is constructions 235
-
Binominal constructions
- From an icy hell of a night to a hell of a fine story 279
- Time-measurement constructions in English 311
- Day to day and night after night 363
- Coordinated phrases as dvandvas 395
- Index 429
