한정성과 관사의 기능

Functions of the Articles Related to Definiteness

In this paper, it has been argued that the articles in English possess both a referential and an expressive function. So far, the studies of definiteness have been confined to a referential view of definiteness. All these approaches focus exclusively on the articles’ contribution to reference, that is, on the way the articles help NPs establish the existence of and individuate entities in the universe of discourse. In addition to their referential function, however, the articles also possess an expressive function. In particular, the definite article can be used expressively as a marker of prominence, and the indefinite article can be used expressively as a means of de-emphasizing a referent’s individual identity. Evidence for these functions was drawn principally from the fact that different articles can often be used to describe the same objective situation. In particular, we examined discourses in which the could be used felicitously (for expressive reasons) even though a was referentially more appropriate (a basis for unique identifiability was lacking). We also examined discourses in which a could be used felicitously (for expressive reasons) even though the was referentially more appropriate.