Nouns and Noun Phrases - University of Macau Library

Numerals and quantifiers 899
IV. Use as modifier or as independent argument
So far, we have only discussed examples with quantifiers that are used as modifiers
of the noun phrase. A quantifier can, however, also be used as an independent
constituent, that is, as an argument or a °floating quantifier. Examples of these two
uses are given in, respectively, the primeless and the primed examples of (86). The
following sections will also discuss these independent uses.
(86) a. Allen gingen naar de vergaderzaal.
all[+human] went to the meeting.hall
a′. Ze zijn allen naar de vergaderzaal gegaan.
they are all[+human] to the meeting.hall gone
b. Alle zijn uitverkocht.
all[-human] are sold.out
b′. Ze zijn alle verkocht.
they are all[-human] sold
The examples in (86) show that there are two spellings for the independent
occurrences of the quantifiers ending in a schwa: with or without a final -n. The
presence of this orthographic -n, which is not pronounced in spoken Dutch, depends
on the feature [±HUMAN] of the referent or associate: the form without -n is used
with [-HUMAN] and the form with -n with [+HUMAN] nouns. Note that [+HUMAN]
should be understood as “consistently human”: conjunctions which are not
consistently human, like mannen en hun auto’s ‘men and their cars’, take alle, not
allen, as their independent quantifier. Note further that the examples in (86) are all
formal, and most often found in writing; in colloquial speech, the preferred way to
express the intended contentions would take the form of the primed examples with
allemaal ‘all’ substituted for alle(n) ‘all’: Ze zijn allemaal naar de vergaderzaal
gegaan/Ze zijn allemaal verkocht.
6.2.2. Universal quantifiers
This section discusses the universal quantifiers. We will start in Section 6.2.2.1 with
their use as modifiers of the noun phrase. After that, we will examine their use as
independent constituents: Section 6.2.2.2 discusses their use as arguments, and
Section 6.2.2.3 their use as floating quantifiers.
6.2.2.1. Use as modifier
Dutch has three universal quantifiers that can be used as modifiers: ieder/elk ‘every’
and alle ‘all’. These quantifiers are all universal in the sense that examples like (87)
express that the set denoted by student is a subset of the set denoted by the VP een
studentenkaart krijgen ‘to receive a student ticket’. In terms of Figure 1, this means
that A - (A ∩ B) = ∅.
(87) a. Iedere/elke student krijgt een studentenkaart.
every student receives a student ticket
b. Alle studenten krijgen een studentenkaart.
all students receive a student ticket