Comparative Syntax of the Balkan Languages (Oxford ... - Cryptm.org

164 ANTONIA ANDROUTSOPOULOUd.e.f.vajzagirl-FEM.NOM.PL'good girls (NOM)njedjalia boy-MASC. DAT.SG'a good boy (DAT)teDET-FEM.NOM.PLnje vajzetea girl-FEM.DAT.SG DET-FEM.DAT.SG'a good girl (DAT)miragood-FEM.PLtemireDET-MASC.DAT.SG good-MASC.SGmiregood-FEM.SGWhen prenominal, Albanian adjectives receive a focus interpretation. They stillhave to be preceded by the adjectival determiner. In this instance, it is the adjectiveand not the noun that is marked for Case (cf. (13a)). In definite DPs,prenominal adjectives are marked for definiteness as well as for Case, in contrastto the noun, which remains unmarked for these features (cf. (13a)). When the adjectivesremain postnominal, it is the noun that is marked for Case and definiteness,while the adjective is unmarked for these features (cf. (13b)):(13) a.b.temirinDET-MASC.ACC. SG good-MASC.DEF.ACC.SG'the GOOD boy'djalineboy-MASC. DEF, .ACC.SG DET-MASC.ACC.SG'the good boy'djaleboy-MASC. SGmiregood-MASC.SGAlbanian adjectival determiners "are connected historically with postposed articles,which lost their independence and turned into definite Case endings"(Newmark et al. 1982.179). Observe, in this respect, the similarity in form betweenthe two in (14):(14) a.c.i mir-i'the good (one)' (MASC.NOM)se mires'to the good (one)' (FEM.DAT)b. te mi ret'the good (ones)'(MASC.NOM)d. te mi rit'to the good (one)'(MASC.DAT)The form of the adjectival determiner depends on whether the adjective immediatelyfollows a definite noun or not 5 (cf. (I5a) and (15b), as well as the contrastbetween (13a) and (13b):(15) a.b.nje vajze tea girl-lNDEF.FEM. DAT.SG DET-INDEF.FEM.DAT. .SG'a good girl (DAT)'vajzessegirl-DEF.FEM. DAT.SG DET-DEF.FEM.DAT.SG'the good girl(FEM.DAT)'miregood-FEM.SGmiregood-FEM.SG