Nouns and Noun Phrases - University of Macau Library

704 Syntax of Dutch: nouns and noun phrases
(67) a. [Het glas met [∅ wijn]] viel om. [non-generic]
the glass with wine fell over
‘The glass containing wine tumbled.’
a′. [De prijs van [∅ wijn]] is hoog dit jaar. [generic]
the price of wine is high this year
‘Wine is expensive this year.’
b. Jan heeft nog [een vat met [∅ goede wijn]]. [non-generic]
Jan has still a barrel with good wine
b′. Jan beschreef [de smaak van [∅ goede wijn]]. [generic]
Jan described the taste of good wine
B. Non-deverbal abstract non-count nouns
Non-deverbal abstract non-count nouns can likewise be construed with the definite
articles de and het without necessarily receiving a specific interpretation. Again, the
context determines the distribution of specific and generic readings.
(68) a. De armoede/Het verdriet is ondraaglijk. [specific]
the poverty/the sadness is unbearable
a′. De armoede/Het verdriet moet bestreden worden. [generic]
the poverty/the sadness must eradicated be
b. [de ondraaglijkheid van [de armoede/het verdriet]] [specific/generic]
the unbearableness of the poverty/the sadness
b′. [De beperking van [de armoede/het verdriet]] heeft prioriteit. [generic]
the reduction of the poverty/the sadness has priority
Abstract non-count nouns in argument positions normally cannot be combined
with the indefinite article een without triggering a special, exclamative interpretation;
cf. Section 5.1.4.2. However, the addition of a restrictive modifier may
license it: Er heerst daar een *(ondraaglijke) armoede ‘there is an unbearable
poverty there’; Hij heeft een *(onzegbaar) verdriet ‘He has an ineffable sadness’.
However, as far as we can tell, such indefinite noun phrases are not readily possible
in generic contexts; the examples in (69), at least, are somewhat odd.
(69) a. ? Een ondraaglijk verdriet is moeilijk te bestrijden.
an unbearable sadness is hard to eradicate
b′. ? Een onzegbaar verdriet kan tot zelfmoord leiden.
an ineffable sadness can to suicide lead
Abstract non-count nouns occurring with the null article, on the other hand, are
possible in generic contexts. As with the substance nouns, this is the normal
interpretation when an indefinite noun phrase occupies the regular subject position.
In order to obtain a non-generic reading, an indefinite subject must occur in the
expletive construction. When the indefinite noun phrase has some other syntactic
function in the sentence, the context determines whether a generic interpretation is
possible or not. When the indefinite noun phrase is embedded in a larger noun
phrase the generic reading of the indefinite noun phrase is the most prominent one.