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Nouns and Noun Phrases - University of Macau Library

Nouns and Noun Phrases - University of Macau Library

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1110 Syntax <strong>of</strong> Dutch: nouns <strong>and</strong> noun phrases<br />

(157) a. # Ik heb ’s winters heerlijk gew<strong>and</strong>eld.<br />

I have in winter nicely walked<br />

b. ’s Winters is het hier erg koud.<br />

in winter is it here very cold<br />

‘In winter, it is very cold here.’<br />

c. In de lente is het hier erg mooi.<br />

in the spring is it here very beautiful<br />

‘In spring, it is very beautiful here.’<br />

D. Names <strong>of</strong> other conventional time units<br />

Other conventional time units are expressed by nouns like weekend ‘weekend’, dag<br />

‘day’, week ‘week’, ochtend ‘morning’ or avond ‘night’. When a noun phrase<br />

headed by these nouns refers to a time interval, as in the (a)-examples <strong>of</strong> (158) <strong>and</strong><br />

(159), it is preceded by a determiner <strong>and</strong> a modifier like heel ‘whole’ is required.<br />

When the noun phrase is used to refer to a certain point on the time axis, as in the<br />

(b)-examples, the determiner can <strong>of</strong>ten be left out. The (c)-examples show that the<br />

use <strong>of</strong> a modifier is obligatory unless the determiner is a demonstrative. When the<br />

noun phrase contains a PP-modifier, as in the (d)-examples, the determiner is<br />

obligatory.<br />

(158) a. Ik ben *(het) hele weekend in Antwerpen.<br />

I am the whole weekend in Antwerp<br />

b. Ik was het vorige weekend/vorig weekend in Antwerpen.<br />

I was the last weekend/last weekend in Antwerp<br />

c. Ik ben dat/ ? het weekend in Antwerpen.<br />

I am that/the weekend in Antwerp<br />

d. Ik kom het weekend voor/na Pasen bij je op bezoek.<br />

I come the weekend before/after Easter at you on visit<br />

‘I come to visit you the weekend before/after Easter.’<br />

(159) a. Ik ben *(de) hele dag/avond thuis.<br />

I am the whole day/evening home<br />

b. Hij komt ? (de) komende dag/avond weer thuis.<br />

he comes the next day/evening again home<br />

c. Hij komt ? die/*de dag/avond weer thuis.<br />

he comes that/the day/evening again home<br />

d. Ik kom de dag voor/na Pasen bij je op bezoek.<br />

I come the day before/after Easter at you on visit<br />

‘I come to visit you the day before/after Easter.’<br />

Note, however, that dropping the determiner in (159b) is somewhat marginal. It<br />

may be the case that the use <strong>of</strong> the bare noun phrases komende dag <strong>and</strong> komende<br />

avond is blocked by the existence <strong>of</strong> the lexical forms morgen ‘tomorrow’ <strong>and</strong><br />

morgenavond ‘tomorrow night’. This is supported by the fact that noun phrases like<br />

vorige/afgelopen week ‘last/the past week’ or volgende ma<strong>and</strong> ‘next month’, for<br />

which such lexical items do not exist, are perfectly acceptable without the<br />

determiner: actually, in these cases the determiner cannot be used.

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