Definite article
From Apics
A definite article is a morpheme which accompanies nouns and which codes definiteness or specificity, like the in English. This is a somewhat broader use of the term definite article than is common, since it includes
- affixes on nouns that code definiteness; and
- demonstratives, if those demonstratives are used as markers of definiteness.
Definite NPs are NPs whose referent can be uniquely identified by the hearer. Unique identifiability occurs under two main kinds of circumstances: One of these is in anaphoric situations, to refer back to something mentioned in the preceding discourse (e.g. I bought a new bicycle... My husband likes the bicycle). The other is in associative contexts, to refer to something that is not mentioned in the preceding discourse but that is identifiable because of an associatiative relationship (e.g. I bought a new bicycle. The saddle is very comfortable).
Demonstratives are commonly diachronically extended to definite articles, and it is sometimes difficult to decide whether a demonstrative should be considered to have a definite article use or not. Here we consider a demonstrative to have a definite-article use if it occurs in associative contexts. If a demonstrative is used somewhat more often than in French or English, but cannot be used in associative contexts, then we do not consider it to be a definite article (cf. I bought a new biciycle... My husband likes this bicycle – But not: *I bought a new bicycle. This saddle is very comfortable; hence English this does not count as a definiteness marker). Obligatoriness in definite contexts is not a prerequisite for definite-article use.
(Another kind of use that is sufficient for regarding a demonstrative as a definite article is the generic use: "The light bulb was invented in the 19th century", or "The hippo is the most dangerous mammal". If a demonstrative can be used in generic NPs, it should be regarded as a definite article. However, this is not a necessary condition.)
