Weak definite nominals

Abstract

Weak definite nominals are a class of nominals composed of weak definites and bare singulars occurring in the same linguistic environments within and across languages. They display several characteristic properties: restricted distribution, non-unique reference, sloppy identity in VP-ellipsis sentences, acceptability in sluicing contexts, narrow-scope interpretation, lexical constraints, restricted modification, restricted number morphology, meaning enrichment, and discourse referential defectiveness. In this review we explore two main theoretical approaches accounting for the meaning of these expressions, namely, one that treats them as pseudo-incorporated nominals and another one that attributes to them an abstract object reference. We first discuss the properties of weak definite nominals using Rioplatense Spanish data and then evaluate how both approaches can account for these properties.