Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to present arguments for the existence of a certain relation between formal gender features and the semantic notions ‘count noun’ and ‘mass noun’. In particular, facts relating to how NP ellipsis operates in indefinite DPs in Dutch and Afrikaans are taken to provide evidence for the proposed relation.

Highlights

  • This article explores a certain way of understanding the patterns emerging in Dutch and Afrikaans when NP ellipsis (NPE) applies in an indefinite singular noun phrase

  • The motivation for concentrating on indefinite singular noun phrases is that the outcome of applying NPE in such phrases is determined by an interplay between grammatical gender and countability, suggesting a certain relation between gender and countability

  • We note at the outset that the similarity between the unexpected -e in Dutch and its counterpart in Afrikaans indicates that a unified analysis is unlikely to involve actual gender change precisely because Afrikaans is gender-less

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Summary

Introduction

This article explores a certain way of understanding the patterns emerging in Dutch and Afrikaans when NP ellipsis (NPE) applies in an indefinite singular noun phrase. NPE in definite and plural noun phrases will be left completely out of the picture here. The motivation for concentrating on indefinite singular noun phrases is that the outcome of applying NPE in such phrases is determined by an interplay between grammatical gender and countability, suggesting a certain relation between gender and countability. 2. The issues I begin by giving an outline of the issues I’ll focus on. I will identify some criteria that any successful analysis should meet

Issue 1
Issue 2
The core of a proposal
Unexpected -e and its connection to NPE
Afrikaans ene formed by movement
Movement across adjectives from Spec-e
Movement and NPE at phase edges
Afrikaans
Summary
Conclusion

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