Re: definite/indefinite articles

Sally Caves scripsit:

> The definite or indefinite articles not only give information about the
> specificity of a thing (has it been mentioned before? is it new? is it right
> here?),
Definiteness isn't quite the same as specificity, though they are related.
Definiteness has to do with whether the listener is expected to be able
to determine what is referred to: when I say "A man went into the room",
I don't expect you to know what man I mean, whereas if I say "The man
went into the room", I do expect it.

Specificity, on the other hand, has to do with whether the listener can
apply independent standards to determine what is referred to, or the
only useful source of understanding is the speaker.  In general, definiteness
implies specificity, but not vice versa.  In particular, "A certain man"
is indefinite (as the article shows) but specific: you can't tell which man
is meant unless you ask the speaker.

ObConlang:  Lojban marks specificity on its articles, which come in
specific and non-specific flavors; the marking of definiteness is optional
and usually omitted.

Kudos to And for explaining this distinction to me and the Lojban community
some years back.

--
John Cowan           http://www.ccil.org/~cowan              cowan@ccil.org
To say that Bilbo's breath was taken away is no description at all.  There
are no words left to express his staggerment, since Men changed the language
that they learned of elves in the days when all the world was wonderful.
        --_The Hobbit_

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