Nouns and Noun Phrases - University of Macau Library

846 Syntax of Dutch: nouns and noun phrases
5.2.3.1. Classification
Traditional grammar distinguishes between several types of demonstratives. A first
distinction that is normally made is that between demonstratives functioning as
modifiers and demonstratives functioning as independent arguments. In the former
case, the demonstrative functions as a determiner in a noun phrase. In the latter
case, the demonstrative is used independently as an argument, that is, in a way
comparable to that of a personal pronoun. The most common demonstratives like
dit ‘this’ and dat ‘that’ in (471) can have both functions, but some forms can only
be used as arguments.
(471) a. Dit boek is spannend, maar dat boek is saai. [demonstrative modifier]
this book is exciting but that book is dull
b. Dit is spannend, maar dat is saai. [demonstrative argument]
this is exciting but that is dull
Section 5.2.3.1.1 will discuss the demonstrative modifiers, followed in Section
5.2.3.1.2 by a discussion of the demonstrative arguments. Section 5.2.3.1.3 will
conclude with some brief remarks on the use of demonstratives as predicates.
5.2.3.1.1. Demonstratives as modifiers
The main reason to assume that demonstratives function as determiners is that they
are in complementary distribution with the articles; cf. (472). This follows
immediately if the two compete for the same position in the structure: the head
position of the DP. As in the case of the possessive pronouns, we must add that the
claim that demonstratives are determiners is not cross-linguistically valid given that
in some languages demonstrative pronouns do co-occur with articles; see Alexiadou
et al. (2007: 106) for some examples.
(472) a. *de deze man b. *het dat kind c. *de die kinderen
the this man the that child the those children
a′. *deze de man b′. *dat het kind c′. *die de kinderen
this the man that the child those the children
We can distinguish four main classes of demonstrative modifiers. A first distinction
that can be made is that between non-interrogative and interrogative demonstratives.
Following the tradition in Dutch linguistics, we will divide the two classes further
into definite and indefinite demonstratives, although we will replace the notion of
(in)definiteness by the notion of D-linking. Finally, we will see that the form of the
demonstratives depends on the nominal features of the modified head noun.
I. Non-interrogative demonstratives
The class of °D-linked (definite) non-interrogative demonstratives consists of the
pronouns deze ‘this/these’, die that/those’, dit ‘this’, and dat ‘that’; noun phrases
headed by these determiners are definite in the sense that they can be used to refer
to certain entities in the domain of discourse. The Dutch tradition furthermore
assumes that the demonstratives zo’n ‘such a’ and zulk(e) ‘such’ head indefinite
DPs. Table 12 provides the full paradigm of non-interrogative demonstrative
pronouns.