Difference between revisions of "Determiners"
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(Created page with "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...") |
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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. | + | 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'' | * '''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'' | ||
| + | |||
| + | (3) Postdeterminers | ||
| + | * '''Cardinal numerals''': ''one, two'' | ||
| + | * '''Ordinal numberals''': ''first, second'' | ||
* '''Quantifiers''': ''many, few, several'' | * '''Quantifiers''': ''many, few, several'' | ||
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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 | |
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
