THE PROBLEM OF THE ARTICLE

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 449.

There are languages (e.g. Russian) which have no article. Other languages (e.g. French, Spanish, German) have two articles. Different languages have articles of different kinds: usually it is a separate unit attached to the noun, however it may also be a morpheme that is added to the noun. In English there exist two articles: the indefinite article a (an) and the definite article the.They have the following features:

a) the lexico-grammatical meaning of 'definiteness' / 'indefiniteness';

b) the right-hand combinability with nouns;

c) the function of the specifier of a noun.

The problem that arises here is whether the article is a free word or a word morpheme. Some grammarians say that such combinations as Art + N are analytical grammatical forms where the functional part is presented by an article, and the notional – by a noun. In this case such combinations do not differ from analytical forms like has come, is reading, etc. Some nouns will have three forms: table, a table, the table; others – only two: information, the information. This approach will enable us to find the "zero" article in the language (if we admit that the article is a free word the idea will seem incorrect).

But, in our opinion, such combinations are not analytical forms. On the one hand, between the members of Art + N combinations there exists the syntagmatic tie established in each concrete situation impossible with the elements of analytical forms. Besides, auxiliary elements in analytical forms can hardly be substituted. (In case with articles they can be easily substituted by the demonstrative pronouns this, that, the indefinite pronoun some).

Besides, it seems to be tempting though impossible to establish the category of definiteness / indefiniteness by means of building up the opposition of the type a book – the book which would include both the articles. The members of an opposition must have identical meanings, which is not the case here. A (an) possesses the meanings of 'indefiniteness' and 'oneness' and the – 'definiteness' and 'the demonstrative meaning'. Thus, a book – the book cannot be opposed as members of some noun opposition as well as cannot be considered analytical word morphemes.