Datapoint Kriol/Definite articles
The answer to the question of whether definite and indefinite articles exist in Kriol is not straightforward. Sandefur (1979) answers in the negative for both. Nicholls (2006, 2010) argues convincingly for the Roper River variety that the determiner det, derived from the English demonstrative that, has no deictic meaning component and is used as a recognitional determiner – that is, it is used in situations where the referent of a NP is considered as identifiable by the addressee, including anaphoric contexts. As such it is close in function and grammaticalization status to a definite article; however it is not used obligatorily in all "definite" contexts, but only if the identification of the referent is actually at stake and/or the referent is topical. The recognitional determiner also occurs with generic NPs (see Feature 30 "Generic noun phrases in subject function") and inherently definite NPs such as proper names.
Since this determiner, similarly to the German article, simultaneously fills a slot in the demonstrative paradigm and is used as a text-deictic demonstrative, Value 2 is chosen. As it has no spatial deictic value, it is glossed as DEM in the examples.
Values 
Definite article identical to a demonstrative
- Example 25-12:
-
Ai bin faindim det kap bla det wumun.Ai1sgbinpstfaind-imfind-trdetdemkapcupbladat/possdetdemwumun.womanI found the woman's cup.
Source: Hudson 1985: 71
- Example 25-35:
-
Thet kenggaru bin toktok.Thetdemkenggarukangaroobinpsttok~tok.red.talkThe kangaroo was talking.
- Example 25-40:
-
Tubala olmen bin lisen langa tubala na.Tubalatwoolmenmenbinpstlisenlistenlangaloctubala3duna.nowThe two men listened to the two (kangaroos) then.
- Example 25-69:
-
Det R. en J., yu sabe dubala?DetdemR.R.enandJ.,J.yu2sgsabeknowdubala?3duR. and J., do you know the two?
Source: Nicholls 2006: 3
- Example 25-78:
-
Gardiya bin oldei ringim thet bel.Gardiyawhite.personbinpstoldeialways/habring-imring-trthetdembel.bellA white person used to ring a bell every day. (context: work on the cattle stations, when speaker was young).
- Example 25-98:
-
Thet the mindubala lengwij na wi toking la yu dijey taka.Thetdemtheeq.copmindubala1du.excllengwijlanguagenanowwi1pltok-ingtalk-prog2lalocyu2sgdij-eyprox-waytaka.plant.foodIt's OUR language that we're speaking to you [when giving you the word for] this edible plant.
- Example 25-161:
-
Im lib la keib, det larrpburniny.M3sgliblivelalockeib,cavedetdemlarrpburniny.wallabyIt lives in caves, the wallaby.
Source: Nicholls 2006: 7
- Example 25-162:
-
Im smelim thet bif.Im3sgsmel-imsmell-trthetdembif.meat/beefHe smells the meat.
- Example 25-163:
-
Dijan iya im mukarra tri. Thad lif pat bla mukarra, im gudwan bla so.Dijanprox:adjiyahereim3sgmukarrariver.pandanustri.treeThaddemlifleafpatpartbladat/possmukarra,river.pandanusim3sggud-wangood-adjbladat/possso.soreThis here is a river pandanus. The leaf of the river pandanus is good for sores.
Source: Daniels et al. 2001
- Example 25-164:
-
Wal jad lilboi imin reken frog bin likimbat feis en pulumbat heya.Walwelljaddemlilboilittle.boyim=in3sg=pstrekenthink/sayfrogfrogbinpstlik-im-batlick-tr-progfeisfaceenandpul-um-batpull-tr-progheya.hairWell that little boy said/thought that the frog licked his face and pulled his hair.
Source: Galmurr and Willika 1996
- Example 25-165:
-
Thet min imin goap mo haya.Thetdemminmeanim=in3sg=pstgoapgo.upmomorehaya.higherThat means he climbed up higher.
- Example 25-166:
-
Imin oldei telim mi “givit bek langa im thet taka blanga im, yu bin takat naf, givit bek la thet beibi".Im=in3sg=pstoldeialwaystel-imtell-trmi1sg“giv-itgive-trbekbacklangalocim3sgthetdemtakatuckerblangadat/possim,3sgyu2sgbinpsttakateatnaf,enoughgiv-itgive-trbekbacklalocthetdembeibi".babyShe used to say to me "give it back to her, that food of hers, you have eaten enough, give it back to the baby".
- Example 25-167:
-
Imin givit thet K. langa mai bratha.Im=in3sg=pstgiv-itgive-trthetdemK.K.langalocmai1sg.possbratha.brotherHe gave K. to my brother (in marriage).
Source: nd
- Example 25-168:
-
Dijan longtaim la fam en wi bin abum ol fam dea langa lolebul. Dijan la Katharrain en mai fatha yusta wek dea blanga dat men. Imin - dat men imin neim ol Jim.Dijanprox:adjlongtaimlong.agolalocfamfarmenandwi1sgbinpstab-umhave-trololdfamfarmdeatherelangaloclolebul.Low.LevelDijanprox:adjlalocKatharrainKatherineenandmai1sg.possfathafatheryustahabwekworkdeathereblangadat/possdatdemmen.manIm=in3sg=pst-datdemmenmanim=in3sg=pstneimnameololdJim.JimThis was long ago on a farm and we had an old farm there at Low Level (Crossing). This was in Katherine, and my father used to work there for that man. He- that man, his name was Old Jim. OR: This happened a long time ago on a farm. There was this old farm at the Low Level at Katherine and my father used to work there for a man named Jim. (Orig. Transl.)
Source: Sandefur and Sandefur 1982: 65
- Example 25-169:
-
Mi thad fes pesin bin gaji fish ba alabat.Mi1sgthadeq.copfesfirstpesinpersonbinpstgajiget:trfishfishbadat/possalabat.3plI was the first person who caught a fish for everyone.
Source: Angelo et al. 1998
- Confidence:
- Intermediate