19.442, Qs: Definiteness/Specificity in Colloquial Sinhala

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Thu Feb 7 17:33:50 UTC 2008


LINGUIST List: Vol-19-442. Thu Feb 07 2008. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 19.442, Qs: Definiteness/Specificity in Colloquial Sinhala

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1)
Date: 06-Feb-2008
From: Gavin Austin < gaustin2 at une.edu.au >
Subject: Definiteness/Specificity in Colloquial Sinhala

 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:32:35
From: Gavin Austin [gaustin2 at une.edu.au]
Subject: Definiteness/Specificity in Colloquial Sinhala
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Dear Colleagues,

I'd be very appreciative if someone could verify the following data from
Colloquial Sinhala. What I'm interested in how 'a dog' in (1) and (2) is
marked for definiteness/specificity in this language. 

(1) ''I'm looking for a dog. Have you seen him?'' [-def, +spec]
Colloquial Sinhala:  balla(wa)/*ballek(wa)

(2) ''I'm looking for a dog. I need a new pet.'' [-def, -spec]
Colloquial Sinhala:  *balla(wa)/ballek(wa)

Thanks in advance.
Gavin Austin
U of New England 

Linguistic Field(s): Semantics





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