The definite article in non-specific object noun phrases: Comparing French and Italian
Italian allows for the use of the definite article in non-specific direct object NPs ( mettersi la giacca ‘put on a jacket’, avere il gatto ‘have a cat’). However, in French, the corresponding constructions typically take only the indefinite article ( se mettre un blouson, avoir un chat ). We present a corpus analysis and a questionnaire study which both establish a striking contrast between French and Italian on this point. We argue that the more widespread use of the Italian definite article in this non-specific function shows that it is further grammaticalized than its French counterpart. This conclusion calls for a reconsideration of the widespread view of French as the language with the more grammaticalized article system.
Cited by (2)
Cited by two other publications
Favaro, Federica, Carlos Patricio Rodríguez Hurtado, Sonia de los Angeles López Pérez & Mónica Narciza Orbea Peñafiel
2023.
Estrategias de determinación en oraciones inespecíficas en el español ecuatoriano.
Explorador Digital 7:2
► pp. 96 ff.

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