Universal #1744

Legacy number: 1744

 Number  1739
 Original  The fact that pronominal heads do not take the definite article is a very widespread and possibly universal phenomenon, explainable to an extent by frequently attested pronominal nature of the article itself.
 Standardized  Noun phrases with personal pronouns as their heads tend not to take definite articles.
 Keywords  pronoun, personal pronoun, article, definiteness
 Domain  syntax
 Type  unconditional
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute?
 Basis  languages in Moravcsik 1994b
 Source  Plank & Moravcsik 1996: 198 (cf. Moravcsik 1994b)

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Discussion
Counterexamples
In Kana (=Khana) (Benue-Congo, Niger-Congo), the combination of specifier ‘lo’ and emphatic personal pronoun is used to denote ‘X-self’. The specifier ‘lo’ usually refers to a singular, presupposed and definite noun (Ikoro 1996).In Hova (Malagasy dialect) (Borneo, Western Malayo-Polynesian), the combination of an article and personal pronouns is used to form emphatic pronominal forms (Brandstetter 1913 (mentioned also in Moravcsik 1969: 76)). In Quiche (Mayan), for emphasis personal pronouns can occur with demonstratives and articles (Schultze 1933).In Bigis (=Buginese) (Sulawesi, Western Malayo-Polynesian) and Somali (Cushitic, Afro-Asiatic), full personal pronouns are formed by attachment of an article to an enclitic or "short" pronominal forms (Brandstetter 1913, mentioned also in Moravcsik 1969: 76, Reinisch 1903).In Tzutujil (Maya), the definite article is often used with non-third person pronouns when they are topics or subjects (Dayley 1985). (For details see Filimonova (forthcoming)).
Notes
Cf. #1743 which is more resolute, prohibiting combination of personal pronouns with determiners in general.Implicational version:If NPs have a personal pronoun as their head, then such NPs do not permit a definite article.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Cf. <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1743"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0"> which is more resolute, prohibiting combination of personal pronouns with determiners in general.

Implicational version:
If NPs have a personal pronoun as their head, then such NPs do not permit a definite article.