Abstract. This article argues that the Italian plural indefinite article dei and its French counterpart is a partitive structure without an overt numeral. Unlike a similar proposal in (Chierchia 1998a), the present account crucially holds that the definite DP embedded in these ?defective partitives? is a kind-denoting DP. This assumption derives the lack of existence presupposition, the absence of cardinal numerals after dei, the restrictions to certain types of DPs, the failure of ne-extraction and various other properties of this construction. CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, in this article I have proposed a compositional derivation for the plural/mass indefinite determiners in Italian and French. The main idea is that these forms are derived by applying a partitive operator to a definite which denotes an individual kind. The result of this operation is the set of individuals which instantiate the kind. Combined with the idea that the des/dei-complex raises to the Num or D position of the upper DP, this analysis offers an account for the distribution and scope of dei/des-nominals in Italian and French, and for various features of the 'definite' which appears to be embedded in these nominals.

Dei ex machina: a note on plural/mass indefinite determiners / Zamparelli, Roberto. - In: STUDIA LINGUISTICA. - ISSN 0039-3193. - STAMPA. - 62:3(2008), pp. 301-327. [10.1111/j.1467-9582.2008.00149.x]

Dei ex machina: a note on plural/mass indefinite determiners

Zamparelli, Roberto
2008-01-01

Abstract

Abstract. This article argues that the Italian plural indefinite article dei and its French counterpart is a partitive structure without an overt numeral. Unlike a similar proposal in (Chierchia 1998a), the present account crucially holds that the definite DP embedded in these ?defective partitives? is a kind-denoting DP. This assumption derives the lack of existence presupposition, the absence of cardinal numerals after dei, the restrictions to certain types of DPs, the failure of ne-extraction and various other properties of this construction. CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, in this article I have proposed a compositional derivation for the plural/mass indefinite determiners in Italian and French. The main idea is that these forms are derived by applying a partitive operator to a definite which denotes an individual kind. The result of this operation is the set of individuals which instantiate the kind. Combined with the idea that the des/dei-complex raises to the Num or D position of the upper DP, this analysis offers an account for the distribution and scope of dei/des-nominals in Italian and French, and for various features of the 'definite' which appears to be embedded in these nominals.
2008
3
Zamparelli, Roberto
Dei ex machina: a note on plural/mass indefinite determiners / Zamparelli, Roberto. - In: STUDIA LINGUISTICA. - ISSN 0039-3193. - STAMPA. - 62:3(2008), pp. 301-327. [10.1111/j.1467-9582.2008.00149.x]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11572/66052
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