Skip to content

Universal 1162: indefinite article (plural nouns) ⇒ indefinite article (singular nouns)

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 1162: indefinite article (plural nouns) ⇒ indefinite article (singular nouns)

Original
If the indefinite article determines plural nouns, then it is also used for singular nouns.
Standardized
IF an overt indefinite article is used with plural nouns, THEN it is also used with singular nouns.
Keywords
indefinite article, number, plural, singular noun
Domain
inflection, syntax
Type
implication
Status
achronic but presumably diachronically motivated
Quality
absolute?
Basis
sample of 31 languages
Source
Heine 1997: 68
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    1. Cf. #1165.2. Singular nouns are statistically most likely to be associated with indefinite articles, plural nouns less so, and mass nouns are the least likely.

    1. May 2020

Comments are closed.