Re: Probability of Article Replacement?

Andreas Johansson wrote:
> How probable is it for a language that has a definite article to replace it
> with a form derived from a demonstrative? Are any such examples known from
> real-world languages?
Colloquial English sometimes uses "that" and "this" almost like
articles; with "that" being somewhat like "the" and "this" being
somewhat like "a".  For example:

I met this guy on the street the other day (= I met a guy ...)
Have you ever seen that show "Historical Blunders"?  (= the show)

In fact, there's a show on TV called "That 70's Show".  :-)

Anyways, I could imagine, over time, "that" and "this" becoming true
demonstratives, eventually replacing "the" and "a".

Also, in Modern French, "ce" has developed some article-like functions,
with "le" starting to develop into a kind of "default article".

I see no reason why a language might not lose articles and then later
reaquire them.  Also, definite articles do sometimes evolve into
gender-markers, which are often lost.

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