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The definite article in Indo-European: Emergence of a new grammatical category?

  • Brigitte L.M. Bauer
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Nominal Determination
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Nominal Determination

Abstract

The development of the definite article in Indo-European is a complex innovation, because if most modern languages have defi nite articles, there are important exceptions. In addition, within the Indo-European dialect groups the development of the definite article may not always seem consistent. Moreover, the definite article may trace back to different elements in the individual languages and its functions may vary cross-linguistically within a subgroup, possibly reflecting different degrees of grammaticalization. On the basis of patterns in early uses of definite articles in Greek and article-like uses of demonstratives in Latin, I will trace the change in question, evaluate the possible role of language contact and the possible connection with other phenomena, among them devices to express defi niteness in Indo-European languages that do not have defi nite articles. The aim of the paper is to establish whether or not the definite article is a truly innovative feature in Indo-European or whether it is merely a formal innovation of a category that existed already.

Abstract

The development of the definite article in Indo-European is a complex innovation, because if most modern languages have defi nite articles, there are important exceptions. In addition, within the Indo-European dialect groups the development of the definite article may not always seem consistent. Moreover, the definite article may trace back to different elements in the individual languages and its functions may vary cross-linguistically within a subgroup, possibly reflecting different degrees of grammaticalization. On the basis of patterns in early uses of definite articles in Greek and article-like uses of demonstratives in Latin, I will trace the change in question, evaluate the possible role of language contact and the possible connection with other phenomena, among them devices to express defi niteness in Indo-European languages that do not have defi nite articles. The aim of the paper is to establish whether or not the definite article is a truly innovative feature in Indo-European or whether it is merely a formal innovation of a category that existed already.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part 1. Synchrony – and its implications for diachrony
  6. Discourse binding: DP and pronouns in German, Dutch, and English 21
  7. Gender, number, and indefinite articles: About the 'typological inconsistency' of Italian 49
  8. Covert patterns of definiteness/indefiniteness and aspectuality in Old Icelandic, Gothic, and Old High German 73
  9. The definite article in Indo-European: Emergence of a new grammatical category? 103
  10. 'No' changes: On the history of German indefinite determiners in the scope of negation 141
  11. Part 2. Synchrony – ontological and typological characteristics
  12. The functional range of bare singular count nouns in English 171
  13. The definite article in non-specific object noun phrases: Comparing French and Italian 189
  14. Early functions of definite determiners and DPs in German first language acquisition 215
  15. Part 3. Diachrony – universally unified characteristics?
  16. The discourse-functional crystallization of DP from the original demonstrative 241
  17. Determinerless noun phrases in Old Romance passives 257
  18. On the structure and development of nominal phrases in Norwegian 287
  19. The emergence of DP from a perspective of ontogeny and phylogeny: Correlation between DP, TP and aspect in Old English and first language acquisition 311
  20. Demonstratives and possessives: From Old English to present-day English 339
  21. Index 363
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.89.07bau

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part 1. Synchrony – and its implications for diachrony
  6. Discourse binding: DP and pronouns in German, Dutch, and English 21
  7. Gender, number, and indefinite articles: About the 'typological inconsistency' of Italian 49
  8. Covert patterns of definiteness/indefiniteness and aspectuality in Old Icelandic, Gothic, and Old High German 73
  9. The definite article in Indo-European: Emergence of a new grammatical category? 103
  10. 'No' changes: On the history of German indefinite determiners in the scope of negation 141
  11. Part 2. Synchrony – ontological and typological characteristics
  12. The functional range of bare singular count nouns in English 171
  13. The definite article in non-specific object noun phrases: Comparing French and Italian 189
  14. Early functions of definite determiners and DPs in German first language acquisition 215
  15. Part 3. Diachrony – universally unified characteristics?
  16. The discourse-functional crystallization of DP from the original demonstrative 241
  17. Determinerless noun phrases in Old Romance passives 257
  18. On the structure and development of nominal phrases in Norwegian 287
  19. The emergence of DP from a perspective of ontogeny and phylogeny: Correlation between DP, TP and aspect in Old English and first language acquisition 311
  20. Demonstratives and possessives: From Old English to present-day English 339
  21. Index 363
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Heruntergeladen am 29.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/slcs.89.07bau/html
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