
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
24.1 Optimality Theory as a Tool for Typological Investigations 24.1 Optimality Theory as a Tool for Typological Investigations
-
24.2 Articles and Plurality Across Languages: An OT Typology 24.2 Articles and Plurality Across Languages: An OT Typology
-
24.2.1 A General Markedness Constraint: *FunctN 24.2.1 A General Markedness Constraint: *FunctN
-
24.2.2 Plural Morphology Driven by Fpl 24.2.2 Plural Morphology Driven by Fpl
-
24.2.3 Article Use Driven by Fdef and Fdr 24.2.3 Article Use Driven by Fdef and Fdr
-
24.2.4 Summing Up: An OT Typology of Plural Morphology and Article Use 24.2.4 Summing Up: An OT Typology of Plural Morphology and Article Use
-
-
24.3 Markedness Reversal in OT 24.3 Markedness Reversal in OT
-
24.3.1 Unexpected Patterns of Number Marking 24.3.1 Unexpected Patterns of Number Marking
-
24.3.2 An Indefinite Article in the Absence of a Definiteness Marker 24.3.2 An Indefinite Article in the Absence of a Definiteness Marker
-
-
24.4 Generic Reference and Nominal Structure 24.4 Generic Reference and Nominal Structure
-
24.5 Conclusion 24.5 Conclusion
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
24 Optimization Principles in the Typology of Number and Articles
Get accessHenriëtte de Swart is Professor of French Linguistics and Semantics at Utrecht University (the Netherlands). She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Groningen with a thesis entitled Adverbs of quantification: A generalized quantifier approach (1991). She works on topics in tense and aspect, negation, and indefinites. Her publications on tense and aspect include Meaning and use of not … until (Journal of Semantics, 1996), Aspect shift and coercion(NLLT, 1998), Aspectual implication of plural indefinites (2006), A cross-linguistic discourse analysis of the perfect (Journal of Pragmatics, 2007). She also wrote An introduction to natural language semantics (CSLI, 1998).
Joost Zwarts teaches at the Department of Linguistics at Utrecht University. He previously worked as a researcher in the PIONIER project ‘Case Cross-linguistically’ at Radboud University Nijmegen. His main interests are in (formal and lexical) semantics and syntax, especially in the behaviour of prepositions and articles. He has done fieldwork in Kenya and published The Phonology of Endo (Lincom, 2004).
-
Published:09 July 2015
Cite
Abstract
This chapter uses Optimality Theory to develop a typology of number distinctions on the noun (singular/plural) and article use (definite/indefinite). The interaction between a small number of violable constraints leads to a classification of languages with a fairly wide empirical coverage. The addition of more constraints allows for extensions and subgroups.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 3 |
December 2022 | 9 |
January 2023 | 6 |
February 2023 | 10 |
March 2023 | 10 |
April 2023 | 6 |
May 2023 | 3 |
June 2023 | 2 |
July 2023 | 2 |
August 2023 | 1 |
September 2023 | 5 |
October 2023 | 2 |
November 2023 | 5 |
December 2023 | 5 |
January 2024 | 2 |
February 2024 | 5 |
March 2024 | 2 |
April 2024 | 6 |
May 2024 | 4 |
June 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 6 |
December 2024 | 7 |
February 2025 | 2 |
March 2025 | 4 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.