Datapoint Lingala/Definite articles

There are means, but outside the articles, to express whether the referent of a noun is either, on the one hand, definite or indefinite-specific or, on the other, indefinite-nonspecific.

(a) For singular and plural nouns:
Mókó ('one') and mosúsu ('other') may be used to determine a noun whose referent is indefinite-specific, i.e. the speaker has a specific referent in mind but wishes to keep it undefined. In this usage type, mókó and mosúsu are used with singular as well as plural nouns and always remain invariable.

molakisi mókó 'some/a teacher'
milakisi mókó 'some teachers'
lopángo mókó ‘some/a compound’
mapángo mókó ‘some compounds’

molakisi mosúsu ‘some teacher’
milakisi mosúsu ‘some teachers’
lopángo mosúsu ‘some compound’
mapángo mosúsu ‘some compounds’

(b) For plural nouns:
(i) see the uses of mókó and mosúsu above
(ii) The prefix ba- occurs quite frequently as a supplementary prefix. It may be added to both singular and plural nouns, except to nouns in classes 2 and 10, whose primary prefix is already ba- (thus avoiding *ba-ba-). The meaning distinction between on the one hand a noun’s “regular” plural (i.e. formed by changing the primary prefix) and, on the other, its plural produced by adding ba- to its singular or plural form, is the following. The regular plural is used when the referent is indefinite and nonspecific. Informants unanimously respond that supplementary ba- is excluded in such usage types. Supplementary ba- is used when the referent is indefinite-specific or definite. The first sentence below, using the word likásá ('leaf', regular plural makásá) is an example of an indefinite nonspecific referent, the second of an indefinite-specific one, and the third of a definite one.

Lukélá ngáí makásá nápelisa móto
Luk-él-á ngáí makásá ná-pel-is-a móto
[search-APPL-IMP 1SG leaves 1SG.SUBJ-burn-CAUS-FV fire]
'Find me leaves so that I can light the fire (i.e., any leaves).'

Namóní bamakásá ya minéne
Na-món-í ba-makásá ya mi-néne
[1SG-see-PRS.PRF ba-leaves CONN PL-big]
'I've seen some big leaves.'

Bamakásá óyo ezalí malámu té
Ba-makásá óyo e-zal-í malámu té
[ba-leaves DEM1 3SG.INAN-be-PRS.PRF good NEG]
‘These leaves are not good.’
 

Values

Neither definite nor indefinite article

Confidence:
Very certain