Indefinite article

See also: Article

In Grammar, a indefinite article is a subcategory of indefinite determinant, which takes part in actualization of the name core while stating simply that represented, the referent (the thing, the animal, the person in question), exists well, but remains unknown agents of the stating: it is the standard tool of the incomplete determination. He is thus opposed to the definite article, which, presupposes to him that the referent is known agents of the stating.

  • the indefinite article takes two forms in the singular: “ a ” and “ a ”; and only in the plural: “ of the ” (mixed form or form epicene):

Un garden; une house; des gardens; des houses.

Remarks on the singular indefinite article

  • the indefinite article singular with the same form as the cardinal numeral adjective (“ one/a ”). If this form returns overall an unknown referent to the speaker, it is about the article. If on the contrary this form returns only to one unit quantity, it is about the numeral adjective. It is the linguistic or extra-linguistic context which only allows this deduction:

Une swallow returned.
If one implies “an unspecified swallow… ”, “ a ” can be analyzed like an article. If on the contrary one implies “only one swallow, not two, nor three… ”, “ a ” can be analyzed like a cardinal numeral adjective.

  • It can take a general value, near to the definite singular applied to the species:

Un dog never betrays its Master.
to mean “ the dog never betrays its Master”, or “ the dogs never betray their Master”.

Remarks on the plural indefinite article

  • the indefinite article plural is almost always converted into “ of ” by a verb with the negative form:

It eats des fruits/It never eats de fruits.

  • It becomes usually “ of ”, when between him and the name core comes to intercalate another element (either an epithet qualifier, or another determinant):

a delicious fruit/of the delicious fruits
a delicious exotic fruit/de delicious exotic fruits/d'autres exotic fruits…

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