Some Cases of Double Definiteness in Bulgarian Cover Image

Конструкции с двойно маркиране на определеност в българския език
Some Cases of Double Definiteness in Bulgarian

Author(s): Krasimira Hadzhieva
Subject(s): Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Morphology, Syntax, Philology, Stylistics
Published by: Институт за български език „Проф. Любомир Андрейчин“, Българска академия на науките
Keywords: specific determiners; definite article; demonstrative pronoun; double definiteness; communicative purpose

Summary/Abstract: In many languages worldwide, some of the most typical and frequently used specific determiners (i.e. markers of definiteness) are the definite article and the demonstrative pronoun this. Typologically, Bulgarian also falls into this category. These two determiners often compete with and mutually exclude each other in both situational and textual deixis as they convey similar meanings. This overlap arises from the fact that the mod-ern Bulgarian definite article is derived from an old demonstrative pronoun. Despite the prohibition on the co-occurrence of two semantically similar determiners within a single noun phrase, Bulgarians frequently use constructions that include both the definite article and the demonstrative pronoun – referred to as constructions with double-marked definiteness. The analysis reveals that these constructions are specific cases in which the determiners do not indicate coreference between an unfamiliar and a familiar object. Instead, they refer to an already familiar object. The inclusion of both deter-miners serves a communicative purpose, with speakers deliberately using them to draw the listener’s attention, emphasise, provide emotional evaluation or intensify a quality or emotion.

  • Issue Year: 72/2025
  • Issue No: Special
  • Page Range: 212-229
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Bulgarian
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