Re: definite/indefinite articles

Thanks, that makes sense.  I have never heard anyone Italian
say "il mio Dio" under his/her breath.

Jake
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Roger Mills 
  To: CONLANG@listserv.brown.edu 
  Sent: 02 April, 2003 00:06
  Subject: Re: definite/indefinite articles


 IIRC, without the article it's exclamatory or vocative; in ordinary discourse
the article is required.
    Jake X wrote:

    This leads me to a question.  I have seen this feature in Italian, which
    I don't speak (though it's cheesecake after Latin).  E.g. : il mio Dio!
    So, the question is, is this optional or required in Italian?  I.e., can
    I say Dio mio with different emphasis, or mio dio, or however they order those?