tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Sep 25 22:18:45 2009
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Re: Articles
In a message dated 9/26/2009 00:06:39 Eastern Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:
> English has definite (the) and indefinite (a, an) articles. Many
> languages don't. Of the polyglots out there that speak other languages
> that lack articles, is there any common way to differentiate between
> "I see an enemy," and "I see the enemy" besides the ubiquitous
> linguistic band-aid of "context"?
>
What we make explicit in English and other articled languages is what
speakers of languages without articles also know. If something has been recently
referred to, it's definite; no article required. Otherwise it's not
definite; no article required.
So I suppose it is up to context. Some languages, such as Finnish in
particular, use cases in ways that sometimes, but by no means always, matches the
use of articles.
In general, I suspect there is a whole web or net of indefinite vs.
definite (vs. generic?) usage and choice of words and structures that helps
determine whether a definite or indefinite sense is meant.
An interesting exercise would be to invent a logical language without
articles. Or has that been done? ceqli comes to mind.
Seqram, nuq DaQub?
lay'tel SIvten
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