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Numeral classifiers in Vietnamese and Cantonese may come close to
what you are looking for. In these languages, a NP may consist
entirely of classifier plus noun, ie. with no numeral or other
modifier present. Such constructions are generally interpreted as
being singular and definite. Of course, if you add a numeral than
the NP is no longer singular or definite, so this is may not be
exactly what you are after, but there is some affinit ... Of
course, it may seem strange to apply the term "article" to a
"classifier", but then what is an article, really?<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 04/08/2013 21:49, Sergey Lyosov
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:1375645757.348711843@f432.i.mail.ru"
type="cite">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;font-family:
'Times New Roman', serif;" data-mce-style="font-size:
10pt;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',
serif;" data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times
New Roman', serif;">Dear all,</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;font-family: 'Times New Roman',
serif;" data-mce-style="font-size: 10pt;font-family: 'Times
New Roman', serif;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
'Times New Roman', serif;" data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;
font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Do we know of
languages that have a definite article restricted to the
singular of the noun? That is, do we know of a definite
article that is incompatible with the plural?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;font-family: 'Times New Roman',
serif;" data-mce-style="font-size: 10pt;font-family: 'Times
New Roman', serif;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
'Times New Roman', serif;" data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;
font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Sergey</span></p>
</blockquote>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
David Gil
Department of Linguistics
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
Telephone: 49-341-3550321 Fax: 49-341-3550119
Email: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:gil@eva.mpg.de">gil@eva.mpg.de</a>
Webpage: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.eva.mpg.de/~gil/">http://www.eva.mpg.de/~gil/</a>
</pre>
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