Nouns and Noun Phrases - University of Macau Library

712 Syntax of Dutch: nouns and noun phrases
suggests that there must be some particular reason for this. The article-less example
in (88c) evokes what may be called a (non-restrictive) “epithet” reading: again,
there is no question of there being more than one Peter in the domain of discourse;
the extra information, by close association with the person, becomes more or less
part of the proper noun.
(88) a. Voor de deur stond de lachende Peter.
before the door stood the laughing Peter
b. Voor de deur stond een lachende Peter.
before the door stood a laughing Peter
c. Voor de deur stond lachende Peter.
before the door stood laughing Peter
Other examples are given in (89) and (90). The definite examples in (89a) and
(90a) make statements about Rotterdam and Karl Marx that confirm knowledge
previously established. Example (89a) is most natural when it has been mentioned
earlier in the discourse that Rotterdam is burning, and (90a) reflects the knowledge
of the speaker that Karl Marx had a beard. In the indefinite (b)-examples, by
contrast, the modifiers introduce novel, out-of-the-ordinary information about the
head noun: Rotterdam had not been mentioned to be in flames before; Karl Marx
did not use to wear a beard before.
(89) a. het brandende Rotterdam
the burning Rotterdam
b. een brandend Rotterdam
a burning Rotterdam
(90) a. de bebaarde Karl Marx
the bearded Karl Marx
b. een bebaarde Karl Marx
a bearded Karl Marx
Of course, the (a)-examples need not imply that the hearer shares the speaker’s
knowledge at the time at which these examples are uttered; if not, the listener will
be led to conclude that this is an established fact, and that the attributive modifier is
used as a kind of epithet. The sheer mention of de beeldschone Helena ‘the
ravishing Helen’ in a novel invites the reader to infer that the character in question
is extremely beautiful.
III. Type versus token readings
Compare the examples in (90) with those in (91). The difference in acceptability is
due to the fact that the adjective geboren ‘born’ in (91) expresses an individuallevel
property of the species (here: homo sapiens) to which the referent of the
proper noun belongs, which results in a tautology in the case of the definite
determiner, and in nonsense in the case of the indefinite article. At least, this holds
on the TOKEN reading of the proper noun, that is, where the name is used with
reference to the actual individual bearing that name.