Chapter 30: Generic noun phrases in subject function
1. Introduction ⇫ ¶
A generic noun or noun phrase refers to a whole class and is thus non-specific.
For this feature, we consider only sentences where both the subject and the situation which the verb refers to are generic; we do not consider sentences where the subject, but not the verb phrase, is generic, as in ‘The stamp was invented in the 19th century’.
2. The values ⇫ ¶
We distinguish the following values:
| excl | shrd | all | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Language without definite and indefinite article | 9 | 0 | 9 |
 | Bare singular noun phrase in languages with definite article | 28 | 14 | 42 |
 | Bare singular noun phrase in languages without definite article | 6 | 0 | 6 |
 | Singular noun phrase with definite article | 3 | 15 | 18 |
 | Bare plural noun phrase in languages with definite article | 3 | 9 | 12 |
 | Bare plural noun phrase in languages without definite article | 2 | 0 | 2 |
 | Plural noun phrase with definite article | 2 | 10 | 12 |
 | Singular noun phrase with indefinite articles | 1 | 6 | 7 |
 | Singular noun phrase with adnominal possessive | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Representation: | 75 | |||
Note that for the purposes of APiCS, a form is considered a definite article only if it also has the associative function (see Chapter 28 on definite articles). Furthermore, ‘singular’ means that there is no overt plural marking on the noun, and ‘bare’ means that there is no determiner in the noun phrase.
Value 1 (languages without definite and indefinite article) occurs in five pidgin languages (Chinese Pidgin Russian, Chinuk Wawa, Eskimo Pidgin, Pidgin Hindustani, Yimas-Arafundi Pidgin), in three Bantu-based languages (Kikongo-Kituba, Lingala, Mixed Ma’a/Mbugu), in Ambon Malay, and in Juba Arabic. In these languages, generic noun phrases are bare.
Value 2 (bare noun phrase in languages with definite article) occurs in 55% of the APiCS languages and is the most widespread value. It is present in 20 English-based languages, in 10 Ibero-Romance-based languages, in 6 French-based languages, in Berbice Dutch, Sango, Kinubi, Singapore Bazaar Malay, Pidgin Hawaiian, and in the bilingual mixed language Gurindji Kriol.
Note that in languages without a singular definite article, some APiCS authors consider the nominal plural marker a plural definite article, hence value 2. But if these nominal plural markers are not considered definite articles, then value 3 would be correct for these languages (see comments in Chapter 25).
Value 3 (bare singular noun phrase in languages without definite article) occurs in the Portuguese-based creole languages Casamancese Creole, Angolar, Principense, and Korlai, as well as in Sri Lankan Malay and Media Lengua.
Value 4 (singular noun phrase with definite article) occurs in five Iberian-based languages, in six English-based languages, in three Dutch-based languages, in Fanakalo, Pidgin Hawaiian, and in Michif.
Value 5 (bare plural noun phrase in languages with definite article) occurs in eight English-based languages, in two Ibero-Romance-based languages, and in two Dutch-based languages.
Value 6 (bare plural noun phrase in languages without definite article) occurs in Tayo and Tok Pisin.
Value 7 (plural noun phrase with definite article) occurs in three Ibero-Romance-based languages, in five English-based languages, in two French-based languages, in Berbice Dutch, in Fanakalo, and in Michif.
Value 8 (singular noun phrase with indefinite article) occurs in two Ibero-Romance-based languages (Cape Verdean Creole of São Vicente, Batavia Creole), in two French-based languages (Haitian Creole, Louisiana Creole), in Early Sranan, in Afrikaans, and in Michif.
Value 9 (singular noun phrase with adnominal possessive) is only reported for Afrikaans:
Bare generic noun phrases, whether singular or plural (values 2, 3, 5, and 6), constitute the most widespread pattern; it occurs in 80% of the APiCS languages. There is no particular areal distribution of these values.
Bare singular noun phrases (values 2 and 3) occur in 60% of the APiCS languages. In the case of European-based APiCS languages exhibiting these values (55% of the sample), this constitutes the most striking difference between them and their lexifiers, since in Portuguese, Spanish, French, English, and Dutch, generic noun phrases are either determined by an article or realized as a bare plural noun phrase.
Non-bare generic noun phrases (values 4, 7, 8, and 9) occur in 50% of the APiCS languages.