Definite: definiteness or state
| Values: | Def | Ind |
Definiteness is typically a feature of nouns and articles. Its value distinguishes whether we are talking about something known and concrete, or something general or unknown. It can be marked on indefinite articles, or directly on nouns.
In Middle Armenian, definiteness is expressed by a postposed definite article ն/n attached to the noun (իշխանքն/išxankʼn “princes-the”). Indefiniteness is expressed either by the indefinite article մի/mi (մն/mn) “a/an, one” or by the absence of an article (zero marking). Note that the article մի/mi (մն/mn) may sometimes occur attached to the preceding word.
See also the related features of Person[psor] and Number[psor].
Ind: indefinite
Examples
- մի/mi (մն/mn) “a/an, one”
- թագուոր մի կայր/t’agowor mi kayr “there was a king”
- վարդապետի մն խօսքն/vardapeti mn xòskʼn “the speach of an archpriest (vardapet)”
- սակաւմն/sakawmn “a little”
Def: definite
Examples
- իշխանքն/išxank’n “princes-the”
Definite in other languages: [axm] [bej] [bg] [el] [en] [es] [fr] [ga] [hu] [hy] [it] [ky] [myv] [pal] [pcm] [pt] [qpm] [sga] [sl] [sv] [tr] [u] [urj] [xcl]