Universal #1296

Legacy number: 1296

 Number  1292
 Original  If possessed NPs with a kinship term as head noun show the definite article, then so do possessed NPs with a nonkinship term as head noun.
 Standardized  IF possessed NPs with a kinship term as head noun show the definite article, THEN possessed NPs with a nonkinship term as head noun show the definite article.
 Formula  definite article (possessed NPs with a kinship term as head noun) ⇒ definite article (possessed NPs with a non-kinship term as head noun)
 Keywords  definite article, possessive pronoun, kinship term
 Domain  syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  languages surveyed in Haspelmath 1999
 Source  Haspelmath 1999: 235

← Back to Universals Archive

Discussion
Notes
The tendency to omit the definite article is greater when the possessed noun is a kinship term. Some examples from Haspelmath (1999: 236):KINSHIP NOUN: Italian: (*la) mia madre [(the) my mother]; Bulgarian: majka(*-ta) mi [mother(-ART) my]; Nkore-Kiga: (*o-)mukuru wangye [(ART-)sister my]. OTHER HEAD NOUN: Italian: la mia casa [the my house];Bulgarian: kola-ta mi [car-ART my];Nkore-Kiga: e-kitabo kyangye [ART-book my].
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
The tendency to omit the definite article is greater when the possessed noun is a kinship term. Some examples from Haspelmath 1999: 236:
KINSHIP NOUN:
<table class = "textTable">
<tr>
<td>Italian:</td>
<td>(*la) mia madre [(the) my mother];</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bulgarian:</td>
<td>majka(*-ta) mi [mother(-ART) my];</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nkore-Kiga:</td>
<td>(*o-)mukuru wangye [(ART-)sister my].</td>
</tr>
</table> OTHER HEAD NOUN:
<table class = "textTable">
<tr>
<td>Italian:</td>
<td>la mia casa [the my house];</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bulgarian:</td>
<td>kola-ta mi [car-ART my];</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nkore-Kiga:</td>
<td>e-kitabo kyangye [ART-book my].</td>
</tr>
</table>