Determiner

As determinatives (also Determinantien, singular Determinans; determiner or article words) are referred to in linguistics words that accompany nouns or other nouns (for example, nominalized adjectives ). The job of a Determinativs it is, what is designated by the noun accompanied accurately determine. This phenomenon is called determination.

Definition

In some languages, like German a noun must always be accompanied by a determinative. The following sentence, for example, without determinative before the noun ( here: Kangaroo ) wrong ( and is therefore marked with * asterisk):

* Over there stands _ kangaroo. The only exception is the ( non-obvious ) interpretation of kangaroo as a proper name of a person, as is required for such no items in German (or common only in the southern German colloquial language ). As a rule, only one determinative occur in a noun phrase:

* The this kangaroo moves freely around the city. Types of determiners

Determiners serve a noun ( as an example, let us have a kangaroo ) with respect to the class of its speakers to set. This class contains all possible linguistic objects to which the word can speak kangaroo ( so for example kangaroos all of planet Earth, all kangaroos in texts or images, etc. ).

The determiners include three subclasses:

Article

Primary is under determiners of Articles understood, which occurs in two paradigmatic categories:

• The indefinite ( indefinite ) article for the reference to an undefined instance of a class:

Have you ever seen a kangaroo? A special form of the indefinite article is the Zero article as a companion of nouns that denote something innumerable:

Have you ever eaten kangaroo? the specific (also called definite ) article for the reference to a previously known, mentioned, clearly identified or clearly identifiable ( of which, that) instance of a class:

Have you seen the kangaroo? The definite article also provides generic reference, that reference to all instances of a class:

The kangaroo is a symbol of Australia. Secondary Determinativa

The Determinativa listed here are mentioned in school grammars often adjectival pronouns, but are neither adjectives nor pronouns.

Demonstratives

Other determiners are the demonstrative pronouns that refer to a referent in context:

• The Proximaldemonstrativum this - for nearby:

Have you ever seen this kangaroo? the (mainly high - and written language used ) Distaldemonstrativum jen - for distance:

Do you remember that kangaroo from the zoo, which always wants to fight? Fragedeterminativa

This Determinativa only be used in interrogative sentences. This subheading includes:

• The determinative what - for requests of identity:

What do you mean kangaroo? the determinative what a - for requests of quality ( and sometimes even the identity):

What a kangaroo do you think? What your daughter had a kangaroo you like? the determinative how much and its plural form as many for requests from quantity (in the singular ) and number ( in the plural):

How much kangaroo you need for about four people? How many kangaroos live in this shelter? the determinative for requests whose membership:

Whose kangaroo may that have been? possessives

This Determinativa are used to display affiliation:

My kangaroo is much smarter than your dolphin. In German there in this category actually just a determinative, which is inflected depending on the person and number and have the following forms:

Quantifikative Determinativa

This subheading includes Determinativa, which relate to the contextual number of members of a class. This subheading includes:

• The determinative - not for the number zero:

This is not a kangaroo jumped over. the determinative each - for the set of all members of a class with its plural form all:

Each kangaroo is responsible for themselves. All kangaroos are marsupials. the all- determinative for the total amount of a substance (eg meat ):

We have eaten everything kangaroo. the Determinative some, several and several of which have only the first two, a singular form ( for uncountable nouns )

I've killed quite a few / some / several kangaroos themselves. This requires some / several / * more courage. Distinguish it from other quantifiers

The quantifiers much and little - behave partly as determiners, partly as adjectives. Your grammatical status is therefore controversial.

On one hand you like determiners, so instead of the article, are needed:

But there are many kangaroos in the street, and only a few cars. This is perhaps a little kangaroo, but I sure spent a lot of money. However, they may also they are coordinated in a noun phrase with "real" determiners, and then also inflect like adjectives:

Do you see the many kangaroos in the street? The many kangaroo - who is to just eat! Behave similarly, the quantifiers many ' many ' and few ' few ' in English:

There are many cangaroos on the road, but only few cars. They can also be coordinated in a noun phrase, for example, with the definite article the:

The many cangaroos / The few cars on this road make me freak out. The situation is different with the singular form much ' a lot ' and little ' little ' that can not be coordinated with Item:

This is little cangaroo ( meat ), but I have spent much money for it. Although little is also commonly used as an adjective, but not in the meaning ' little ' but ' small'.

Inflection of determiners

Determinative know no uniform pattern of flexion, but can be divided into three different inflection classes:

• Type I is indeklinabel; here are just a few determinatives, for example, the quantifier some.
• Type II inflected similar as strong adjective forms. Examples include this, some, such, what and also the definite article of / / the.
• Type III inflected as type II, but with endung Wi nominative singular of the masculine. Examples include one-, no - and possessives (my, your, etc.). Also some people, such - and what - flex occasionally after this type.

A determinative congruent in its genus, case and number inflection always with the noun it accompanies.

Directorate of the adjective

In German Determinative affect the inflection of the adjective; this phenomenon is called Directorate or congruence.

It can distinguish three paradigmatic types of Directorate also divide (see above) correspond to the three Inflection of determiners:

• Type I: governed strong adjective forms - example: some fresh money
• Type II: ruled weak adjective forms - examples: the fresh money, this young kangaroo, these young kangaroos
• Type III: Mixed ruled adjective forms - examples: my young kangaroo, my young kangaroos

As in the German language of the determiner ( the left of the adjective attribute) ( strong, weak, or mixed) specifies one hand the Flexionsweise of the adjective, on the other hand, even from the noun ( the right of the adjective attribute) flexion according to gender, case and number takes over and the adjective passes, speaks one of Klammerrektion.