For the function in NP structure, see Determiner (function). For the word class, see Determiner (class). ...

A determiner is a noun modifier that expresses the reference of a noun or noun phrase in the context, including quantity, rather than attributes expressed by adjectives. This word class or part of speech is defined in some languages, such as in English, as it is distinct from adjectives grammatically, though most English dictionaries still identify the determiners as adjectives. Determiners usually include articles, and may include demonstratives, possessive determiners, quantifiers, cardinal numbers, and ordinal numbers depending on the language. In English, a noun or noun substantive is a lexical category which can co-occur with (in)definite articles and attributive adjectives, and function as the head of a noun phrase. ... An adjective is a part of speech that modifies a noun or a pronoun, usually by describing it or making its meaning more specific. ... In grammar, a part of speech or word class is defined as the role that a word (or sometimes a phrase) plays in a sentence. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... An article is a word that is next to a noun or any word that modifies a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. ... // Demonstratives are deictic words (they depend on an external frame of reference) that indicate which entities a speaker refers to, and distinguishes those entities from others. ... In language and logic, quantification is a construct that specifies the extent of validity of a predicate, that is the extent to which a predicate holds over a range of things. ... Aleph-0, the smallest infinite cardinal In mathematics, cardinal numbers, or cardinals for short, are a generalized kind of number used to denote the size of a set. ... Commonly, ordinal numbers, or ordinals for short, are numbers used to denote the position in an ordered sequence: first, second, third, fourth, etc. ...

Not all languages have a lexically distinct class of determiners. Most Indo-European languages, determiner functions are either independent words or clitics that precede the rest of the noun phrase. In other languages, the determiner function is filled by affixes to the noun, or even by changing the noun's form. For example, in Swedish bok "book", when definite, becomes boken "the book" (suffixed definite articles are common in Scandinavian languages). Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies The Indo-European languages include some 443 (SIL estimate) languages and dialects spoken by about three billion people, including most of the major language families of Europe and western Asia, which belong to a single superfamily. ... In linguistics, a clitic is an element that has some of the properties of an independent word and some more typical of a bound morpheme. ... Look up affix in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The North Germanic languages (also Scandinavian languages or Nordic languages) is a branch of the Germanic languages spoken in Scandinavia, parts of Finland and on the Faroe Islands and Iceland. ...

English determiners

Determiners form a closed class of words that number (exclusive of cardinals) about 50 in English and include^[1]:

• Articles: a, an, the
• Demonstratives: this, that, these, those, which, etc.
• Quantifiers: all, few, many, several, some, every, each, any, no etc.
• Cardinal Numbers: one, two, fifty, etc.

The words some, one, and no are also used in ways that are demonstrative not quantitative: "Roger Clemens is some ball player." "A diplomat who says 'no' is no diplomat." An article is a word that is next to a noun or any word that modifies a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. ... Look up a in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... // Demonstratives are deictic words (they depend on an external frame of reference) that indicate which entities a speaker refers to, and distinguishes those entities from others. ... In language and logic, quantification is a construct that specifies the extent of validity of a predicate, that is the extent to which a predicate holds over a range of things. ... Here are examples of how to name numbers in English. ...

For a mostly complete list, see Wiktionary.

Differences from adjectives

Traditional English grammar does not include determiners and calls most determiners adjectives. There are, however, a number of key differences between determiners and adjectives.

1. In English, articles, demonstratives, and possessive determiners cannot co-occur in the same phrase, while any number of adjectives are typically allowed.
   1. A big green expensive English book
   2. * The his book
2. Articles cannot occur alone in complement position, adjectives can.
   1. He is happy.
   2. * He is the.
3. Most determiners are not gradable, while adjectives typically are.
   1. happy, happier, happiest
4. Adjectives cannot stand alone as a subject or object in a fused-head construction, while determiners typically can.
   1. Each likes something different.
   2. * Big likes something different.
5. Adjectives are licensed independent of number, while many determiners are licensed only for singular or for plural nouns.
   1. a big person / big people
   2. many people / * many person
6. Adjectives are never obligatory, while determiners often are.

Differences from pronouns

Determiners such as this, all, and some can often occur without a noun. In traditional grammar, these are called pronouns. There are, however, a number of key differences between such determiners and pronouns.

1. Pronouns may occur in tag questions. Determiners can't.
   1. This is delicious, isn't it?
   2. *This is delicious, isn't this?
2. In phrasal verbs, pronouns must appear between the verb and particle. Determiners may occur after the particle.
   1. pick it up
   2. *pick up it
   3. pick this up
   4. pick up this
3. Pronouns all have distinct genitive forms. Determiners don't.
   1. This is mine/yours/theirs.
   2. *This is all's.

External links

• SIL Glossary of linguistic terms - What is a determiner?

References