1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Linguistic Variation
  4. Online First Articles
  5. Online First Article
image of A feature-based approach to nominal predicates
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

This article proposes a feature-based model to derive nominal predicates. I take the position that nouns denote abstract properties and can enter the derivation readily being definite via bearing uniqueness presuppositions. The countability feature [+Count] on the classifier turns abstract properties into countable atoms. The quantifying force [+/−Quant] on the numeral head (for the case of English) either creates set-memberships and formalises indefinite predicates or performs a function that does not alter the number of its complement and formalises definite predicates. The morphemes that are traditionally associated with D, i.e., (Abbott 2006 i.a.) are formal results of feature checking. These features also successfully derive superlatives and weak definites in English and capture the major facts in Mandarin Chinese with variations in allocation and lexically endorsed specifications. Consequently, D is disassociated from introducing (in)definiteness and is reduced to a pure type-shifter with zero lexical exponents.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/lv.24028.yan
2025-05-02
2025-05-14

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/lv.24028.yan
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abbott, Barbara
    2006 Definiteness and indefiniteness. InL. R. Horn & G. Ward (eds.), The handbook of pragmatics, –. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1002/9780470756959.ch6
     https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470756959.ch6 [Google Scholar]
  2. Aguilar-Guevara, Ana & Carolina Oggiani
    2023 Weak definite nominals. Language and Linguistics Compass(), , https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/lnc3.12503. (4 June, 2024.) 10.1111/lnc3.12503
     https://doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12503 [Google Scholar]
  3. Borer, Hagit
    2005 Structuring sense. Vol. 1, In name only. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Bošković, Željko
    2023 Merge, Move, and Contextuality of Syntax: The Role of Labeling, Successive Cyclicity, and EPP Effects. InThe Cambridge Handbook of Minimalism. Cambridge: CUP.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Bowers, John
    2001 Predication. InM. Baltin & C. Collins (eds.), The handbook of contemporary syntactic theory, –. Oxford: Blackwell. 10.1002/9780470756416.ch10
     https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470756416.ch10 [Google Scholar]
  6. Bremmers, David, Jianan Liu, Martijn van der Klis & Bert Le Bruyn
    2022 Translation mining: Definiteness across languages (a reply to Jenks 2018). Linguistic Inquiry(), –. 10.1162/ling_a_00423
     https://doi.org/10.1162/ling_a_00423 [Google Scholar]
  7. Brogaard, Berit
    2007 Descriptions: Predicates or quantifiers?Australasian Journal of Philosophy(), –. 10.1080/00048400601185495
     https://doi.org/10.1080/00048400601185495 [Google Scholar]
  8. Campbell, R.
    1996 Specificity operators in SpecDP. Studia Linguistica, –. 10.1111/j.1467‑9582.1996.tb00348.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9582.1996.tb00348.x [Google Scholar]
  9. Carlson, Greg N.
    1977 A unified analysis of the English bare plural. Linguistics and Philosophy(), –. 10.1007/BF00353456
     https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00353456 [Google Scholar]
  10. Carlson, Greg N., N. Klein Sussman & Michael K. Tanenhaus
    2006 Weak definite noun phrases. North Eastern Linguisitc Society, Amherst, MA.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Chen, Ping
    2004 Identifiability and definiteness in Chinese. Linguistics(), –. 10.1515/ling.2004.42.6.1129
     https://doi.org/10.1515/ling.2004.42.6.1129 [Google Scholar]
  12. Cheng, Lisa Lai-Shen, Caroline Heycock & Roberto Zamparelli
    2017 Two levels for definiteness. MIT Working Papers in LinguisticsGLOW in Asia XI, Singapore.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Chierchia, Gennaro
    1998 Reference to kinds across languages. Natural Language Semantics, –. 10.1023/A:1008324218506
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008324218506 [Google Scholar]
  14. Coppock, Elizabeth & David Beaver
    2012 Weak uniqueness: The only difference between definites and indefinites. SALT 22.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. 2015 Definiteness and determinacy. Linguist and Philos, –. 10.1007/s10988‑015‑9178‑8
     https://doi.org/10.1007/s10988-015-9178-8 [Google Scholar]
  16. Crisma, Paola
    1997 Functional categories inside the noun phrase: A study on the distribution of nominal modifiers [MA Thesis, Università di Venezia].
     [Google Scholar]
  17. 2015 The “indefinite article” from cardinal to operator to expletive. InG. Chiara, J. Agnes & P. Doris (eds.), Language change at the syntax-semantics interface, Vol., –. Germany: De Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110352306.125
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110352306.125 [Google Scholar]
  18. Dayal, Veneeta & Li Julie Jiang
    2021 The puzzle of anaphoric bare nouns in Mandarin: A conterpoint to Index!Linguistic Inquiry, –.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Diesing, Molly
    1992 Indefinites. Cambridge, MA.: The MIT Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Donnellan, Keith
    1966 Reference and definite descriptions. The Philosophical Review(), –. 10.2307/2183143
     https://doi.org/10.2307/2183143 [Google Scholar]
  21. Giusti, Giuliana
    1997 The categorial status of determiners. InL. Haegeman (ed.), The new comparative syntax, Vol.–. New York: Longman.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. 2002 The functional structure of noun phrases: A bare phrase structure approach. InG. Cinque (ed.), Functional structure in DP and IP, –. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/oso/9780195148794.003.0003
     https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195148794.003.0003 [Google Scholar]
  23. Graff, Delia
    2001 Descriptions as predicates. Philosophical Studies(), –. 10.1023/A:1010379409594
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010379409594 [Google Scholar]
  24. Heycock, Caroline
    2012 Specification, equation, and agreement in copular sentences. Canadian Journal of Linguistics(), –. 10.1017/S0008413100004758
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008413100004758 [Google Scholar]
  25. 2013 The syntax of predication. InM. den Dikken (ed.), The Cambridge handbook of generative syntax, –. New York: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511804571.014
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511804571.014 [Google Scholar]
  26. Huang, Shi-Zhe
    1996 Quantification and predication in Mandarin Chinese: A case study of Dou [PhD Thesis, University of California, Los Angeles].
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Jenks, Peter
    2018 Articulated definiteness without articles. Linguistic Inquiry, –. 10.1162/ling_a_00280
     https://doi.org/10.1162/ling_a_00280 [Google Scholar]
  28. Klein, Natalie M., Whitney M. Gegg-Harrison, Greg N. Carlson & Michael K. Tanenhaus
    2013 Experimental investigations of weak definite and weak indefinite noun phrases. Cognition(), –. 10.1016/j.cognition.2013.03.007
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2013.03.007 [Google Scholar]
  29. Lejewski, Czeslaw
    1960 A re-examination of the Russellian theory of descriptions. Philosophy(), –. 10.1017/S0031819100037724
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100037724 [Google Scholar]
  30. Li, Charles N. & Sandra A. Thompson
    1989 Mandarin Chinese: A functional reference grammar. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Lisa Lai-Shen, Cheng & Rint Sybesma
    1999 Bare and not-so-bare nouns and the structure of NP. Linguistic Inquiry(), –. www.jstor.org.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/stable/4179080
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Longobardi, Giuseppe
    2005 Toward a unified grammar of reference. Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft(), –. 10.1515/zfsw.2005.24.1.5
     https://doi.org/10.1515/zfsw.2005.24.1.5 [Google Scholar]
  33. 2008 Reference to individuals, person and the variety of mapping parameters. InA. Klinge & H. H. Müller (eds.), Essays on nominal determination: From morphology to discourse management, –. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/slcs.99.11lon
     https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.99.11lon [Google Scholar]
  34. Mikkelsen, Line
    2004 Specificational subjects — a formal characterization and some consequences. Acta Linguistica Hafniensia, –. 10.1080/03740463.2004.10415471
     https://doi.org/10.1080/03740463.2004.10415471 [Google Scholar]
  35. Moro, Andrea
    1997 The raising of predicates: Predicative noun phrases and the theory of clause structure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511519956
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511519956 [Google Scholar]
  36. Partee, Barbara H.
    1987 Noun phrase interpretation and type-shifting principles. InJ. Groenendijk, D. D. Jong & M. Stokhof (eds.), Studies in discourse representation theory and the theory of generalized quantifiers, –. Dordrect: Foris.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. 2010 Specificational copular sentences in Russian and English. InA. Grønn & I. Marijanovic (eds.), Russian in Constrast, Oslo studies in language, Vol., –. Oslo: University of Oslo. 10.5617/osla.127
     https://doi.org/10.5617/osla.127 [Google Scholar]
  38. Roberts, Craige
    2003 Uniqueness in definite noun phrases. Linguistic and Philosophy, –. 10.1023/A:1024157132393
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024157132393 [Google Scholar]
  39. Robinson, Heather Merle
    2005 Unexpected (in)definiteness: Plural generic expressions in Romance [PhD Thesis, The State University of Newn Jersey].
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Roy, Isabelle
    2013 Nonverbal predication: Copular sentences at the syntax-semantics interface. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199543540.001.0001
     https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199543540.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  41. Russell, Bertrand
    1905 On denoting. Mind(), –. 10.1093/mind/XIV.4.479
     https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/XIV.4.479 [Google Scholar]
  42. 1919 Descriptions. InIntroduction to mathematical philosopgy. London: George Allen and Unwin.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Schwarz, Florian
    2013 Two kinds of definites cross-linguistically. Language and Linguistics Compass, –. 10.1111/lnc3.12048
     https://doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12048 [Google Scholar]
  44. 2014 How weak and how definite are Weak Definites?InA. Aguilar-Guevara, B. Le Bruyn & J. Zwarts (eds.), Weak referentiality, –. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/la.219.09sch
     https://doi.org/10.1075/la.219.09sch [Google Scholar]
  45. Sharvit, Yael & Penka Stateva
    2002 Superlative expressions, context, and focus. Linguistic and Philosophy, –. 10.1023/A:1020875809794
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020875809794 [Google Scholar]
  46. Stanley, J.
    2002 Nominal restrictions. InG. Peters & G. Preyer (eds.), Logical form and language, –. Oxford: Oxford Univerisy Press. 10.1093/oso/9780199244607.003.0012
     https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199244607.003.0012 [Google Scholar]
  47. Strawson, P. F.
    1950 On Referring. Mind LIX(), –. 10.1093/mind/LIX.235.320
     https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/LIX.235.320 [Google Scholar]
  48. Szabolcsi, Anna
    1986 Comparative superlatives. MIT WPL, –.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Williams, Edwin
    1994 Thematic structure in syntax. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Winter, Yoad
    2002 Flexibility principles in Boolean semantics: The interpretation of coordination, plurality, and scope in natural language. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. 10.7551/mitpress/3034.001.0001
     https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/3034.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  51. 2005 On some problems of (in)definiteness within flexible semantics. Lingua(), –. 10.1016/j.lingua.2004.01.003
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2004.01.003 [Google Scholar]
  52. Yuan, Yulin
    2005 The summative function of “dou” and its distributive effect. Contemporary Linguistics(), –. 10.3969/j.issn.1007‑8274.2005.04.001
     https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1007-8274.2005.04.001 [Google Scholar]
  53. Zamparelli, Roberto
    2000 Layers in the determiner phrase. London: Garland.
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/lv.24028.yan
Loading
  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: nominal predicates ; English and Mandarin Chinese ; numeral features

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error