Nouns and Noun Phrases - University of Macau Library

702 Syntax of Dutch: nouns and noun phrases
From this, we may conclude that a generic singular indefinite noun phrase can only
occur when it is the °logical SUBJECT of some predicate, whereas generic plural
noun phrases are freer in distribution.
(63) a. Ik vind een zebra (meestal) erg interessant.
I consider a zebra generally very interesting
b. Ik vind zebra’s (meestal) erg interessant.
I consider zebras generally very interesting
To conclude this subsection, we give the primeless examples in (64) to show
that generic indefinite noun phrases can also be embedded in a larger noun phrase.
The meaning of these examples is something like “all zebras have a biotope that
consists of ...”. As is shown in the primed examples, the larger noun phrase
containing a singular indefinite noun phrase also has a more restricted distribution
than the one containing a plural indefinite noun phrase; (64a′) is at least preferably
construed as involving the biotope of a certain zebra.
(64) a. Het biotoop van een zebra bestaat uit ...
the biotope of a zebra consists of
a′. # Jan bestudeert het biotoop van een zebra.
Jan studies the biotope of a zebra
b. Het biotoop van zebra’s bestaat uit ...
the biotope of zebras consists of
b′. Jan bestudeert het biotoop van zebra’s.
Jan studies the biotope of zebras
5.1.1.5.2. Non-count nouns
Non-count nouns normally cannot be preceded by the indefinite article een. They
are either preceded by a definite article or by the indefinite null article. Table 2
gives some examples of several subtypes. Subsection I starts by showing that these
non-count nouns also allow a generic reading, and Subsection II continues with a
discussion of some general restrictions on the distribution of generic noun phrases
headed by a non-count noun.
Table 2: Non-count nouns
DEFINITE INDEFINITE
SUBSTANCE NOUN de wijn ‘the wine’
het fruit ‘the fruit’
ABSTRACT NON- de armoede ‘the poverty’
NOUN DEVERBAL het verdriet ‘the sadness’
DEVERBAL het roken ‘the smoking’
het sigaren roken
‘the smoking of cigars’
het roken van deze sigaar
‘the smoking of this cigar’
∅ wijn ‘wine’
∅ fruit ‘fruit’
∅ armoede ‘poverty’
∅ verdriet ‘sadness’
∅ roken ‘smoking’
∅ sigaren roken
‘smoking of cigars’