A Possible Classification of Indefiniteness Exponents in Macedonian Cover Image

Една можна класификација на експонентите на неопределеноста во македонскиот јазик
A Possible Classification of Indefiniteness Exponents in Macedonian

Author(s): Boban Karapejovski
Subject(s): Applied Linguistics, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, South Slavic Languages
Published by: Instytut Slawistyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: reference; category of definiteness; indefiniteness; exponents of indefiniteness; classification;

Summary/Abstract: The concept or category of determinateness finds its grammaticalization in the category of definiteness. Beginning from the dialectical configuration of reality, which finds its linguistic expression in such features that, in componential analysis, are marked as “plus” (+) or “minus” (-), the formal indicator of definiteness will be juxtaposed with equivalents for the corresponding point/segment at the opposite end of the axis. In the established system of the Macedonian language, indefiniteness may be expressed simply by the absence of a marker; by indefinite pronouns, and, in particular, by one and someone (eden and nekoj), which in terms of definiteness/indefiniteness are counterparts of sorts to the article (the definite article as an exponent of positive marking of definiteness in Macedonian); finally, in certain cases, absence of definiteness may be related to the nonreferentiality of noun syntagmas or to ontological meanings. The above-mentioned cases can be classified according to: a) their syntactic function; b) the addressor’s/addressee’s knowledge of the referent (obligatory use of one [eden]/someone [nekoj]]; c) their non-referentiality (either in reality or in the text)/denotation/genericity.

  • Issue Year: 2018
  • Issue No: 18
  • Page Range: 1-20
  • Page Count: 20
  • Language: Macedonian