Difference between revisions of "Determiners"

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Determiners are words or phrases in noun phrases that modify or indicate what entities the noun refers to. For example, a determiner can constrain the meaning of the noun to a specific or non-specific, known or unknown entity, or a particular number of entities. Determiners include the following types.  
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Determiners are words or phrases in noun phrases that modify or indicate what entities the noun refers to. For example, a determiner can constrain the meaning of the noun to a specific or non-specific, known or unknown entity, or a particular number of entities. Determiners include the following types, and occur in the following order.  
  
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(1) Predeterminers
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* '''Distributive determiners''': ''each, any, both''
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* '''Multipliers and fractions''': ''one-half (of), one-third the width; double, four times''
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* '''Interrogative & exclamatory determiners''': ''which idiot; what an idiot; such an idiot''
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* '''Relative determiners''': ''whichever, whatever''
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(2) Central determiners
 
* '''Demonstratives''': ''this, that, these, those''
 
* '''Demonstratives''': ''this, that, these, those''
 
* '''Definite and indefinite [[delimiters]]''' or articles: ''a, an, the'' (I prefer to use my own term ''delimiter'' instead of ''article'')
 
* '''Definite and indefinite [[delimiters]]''' or articles: ''a, an, the'' (I prefer to use my own term ''delimiter'' instead of ''article'')
 
* '''Possessive determiners''': ''my, your, his,her,its,our, their''
 
* '''Possessive determiners''': ''my, your, his,her,its,our, their''
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(3) Postdeterminers
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* '''Cardinal numerals''': ''one, two''
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* '''Ordinal numberals''': ''first, second''
 
* '''Quantifiers''': ''many, few, several''
 
* '''Quantifiers''': ''many, few, several''
* '''Numerals''': ''one, two; first, second''
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* '''Distributive determiners''': ''each, any, both''
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* '''Interrogative determiners''': ''which''
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Additionally, there are noun classifiers, which seem to occur in the central or postdeterminer slots, though classifiers are not determiners. In East Asian languages, classifiers indicate a semantic class or noun type, e.g., Chinese ''yi ge shitou'' and Korean ''dolmaengi han ge'', where ''ge'' is used in both languages as a noun counter for general nouns that indicates a particular item
* '''Noun classifiers''': In East Asian languages, classifiers indicate a semantic class or noun type, e.g., Chinese ''yi ge shitou'' and Korean ''dolmaengi han ge'', where ''ge'' is used in both languages as a noun counter for general nouns that indicates a particular item
 
 
   
 
   
  

Latest revision as of 13:39, 22 February 2018

Determiners are words or phrases in noun phrases that modify or indicate what entities the noun refers to. For example, a determiner can constrain the meaning of the noun to a specific or non-specific, known or unknown entity, or a particular number of entities. Determiners include the following types, and occur in the following order.

(1) Predeterminers

  • Distributive determiners: each, any, both
  • Multipliers and fractions: one-half (of), one-third the width; double, four times
  • Interrogative & exclamatory determiners: which idiot; what an idiot; such an idiot
  • Relative determiners: whichever, whatever

(2) Central determiners

  • Demonstratives: this, that, these, those
  • Definite and indefinite delimiters or articles: a, an, the (I prefer to use my own term delimiter instead of article)
  • Possessive determiners: my, your, his,her,its,our, their

(3) Postdeterminers

  • Cardinal numerals: one, two
  • Ordinal numberals: first, second
  • Quantifiers: many, few, several


Additionally, there are noun classifiers, which seem to occur in the central or postdeterminer slots, though classifiers are not determiners. In East Asian languages, classifiers indicate a semantic class or noun type, e.g., Chinese yi ge shitou and Korean dolmaengi han ge, where ge is used in both languages as a noun counter for general nouns that indicates a particular item