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Re: Probability of Article Replacement?

From:Doug Dee <amateurlinguist@...>
Date:Saturday, March 8, 2003, 2:15
In a message dated 3/7/2003 10:26:52 AM Eastern Standard Time,
fatula3@ATTGLOBAL.NET writes:


> > >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <A HREF="mailto:AmateurLinguist@...>Doug Dee</A> >> To: <A HREF="mailto:CONLANG@...>CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU</A> >> Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2003 10:16 AM >> Subject: Re: Probability of Article Replacement? >> >> >> >> I was distinct annoyed to read in _Definiteness_ that "It has often been >> pointed out that no language has noun phrases distinctively generic in >> form." That is, my article #2 seems to violate a linguistic universal >> that generics are treated as either definite or indefinite. >> >> Doug >> >> --- >> >> It's somewhat disturbing to see this. A great many of my conlangs have a >> "generic" category, though usually as a number opposing singular and >> plural (and dual, etc.). I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that... >> >> Actually, I find this happenning a lot. Really puts the idea of >> linguistic universals to shame, doesn't it? >> >> Joe Fatula >> >
Hmm. If it's a number category, then it seems to me that it's the equivalent of a "global plural," which _does_ occur in natural languages (according to Greville Corbett in _Number_), so I think you're safe. Doug