The semantic core of determiners

In this article, I argue that definiteness is not found in all languages, based on the different behaviour of determiners in English and Sḵwxwú7mesh (Salish). However, I also argue that, despite overt differences between the determiner systems of English and Sḵwxwú7mesh, determiners in both languages share one property in common: domain restriction. Further, I argue that the behaviour of English the can be explained in terms of its uniqueness requirement and domain restriction. Definiteness is thus a result of the interaction of domain restriction and uniqueness and is not itself a feature of any grammar. I also argue that the determiners in Sḵwxwú7mesh lack a uniqueness requirement, and this is the sole reason that they behave differently from English the.

Published online: 28 October 2009
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.147.06gil