[net.nlang] `the' and `a' ?

ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis) (06/18/85)

>> I would agree with previous posters, that it is "UNIX" rather than "the
>> UNIX" because of intangibility.  Just as we say "he has integrity" rather
>> than "he has the integrity."
>
>But we would say, "He has the integrity in the family."  This sentence seems
>to suppose that integrity is a tangible quantity and there's only so much in
>one family.-- Jeff Mattson

    I fail to see how `the' implies `tangible quantity'.

    Just because abstract nouns don't REQUIRE `the', that doesn't mean they
    ARE FORBIDDEN from using `the'. Note:

	He has the integrity in the family   vs  Integrity stinks
	The UNIX we run is 4.2		     vs	 UNIX stinks

    Note the similarity to mass nouns and even plurals:

	The scum is over there		     vs	 Scum stinks
        The men are over there	      	     vs  Men stink

    Plurals, of course, cannot use `a', but mass/abstract nouns are OK:

        He has an integrity that stinks
	We run a UNIX from North Dakota
	It was a scum with a difference

    Anyone care to define `the' and `a' in <25 words? While you're at it, we
    will need a brief rundown on all the categories of nouns pertinent to
    English article usage. That's what this VAX/UNIX debate is really about.

-michael

jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman) (06/23/85)

> 
>     I fail to see how `the' implies `tangible quantity'.
> 
>     Just because abstract nouns don't REQUIRE `the', that doesn't mean they
>     ARE FORBIDDEN from using `the'. Note:
> 
> 	He has the integrity in the family   vs  Integrity stinks
> 	The UNIX we run is 4.2		     vs	 UNIX stinks
> 

In these examples, "the" indicates that the noun refers to a specific instance,
rather than a general quality or class.  Note the difference between:

	I drank the milk.

	     and

	I drank milk.

In the first case, "the milk" means a specific, known set of milk
molecules. :-)  The second case doesn't specify; it could be any milk.

>     Anyone care to define `the' and `a' in <25 words? While you're at it, we
>     will need a brief rundown on all the categories of nouns pertinent to
>     English article usage. That's what this VAX/UNIX debate is really about.
> 
> -michael

This isn't exactly a definition, but "the" indicates that the noun represents
a single known instance of the class that the noun stands for.  "A" indicates
that the noun represents any single instance of the class.  For example,

		The cow		- a single, known cow
		A cow		- any single cow

When "the" is used with a plural noun, it indicates that the noun represents
a single, known set out of the class that the noun stands for.

		The fleas	- A known group of fleas
		Fleas		- All fleas

I believe the reason one says "UNIX" instead of "The UNIX" is that one isn't
thinking of a specific installation of UNIX, but rather the class.  If one
were thinking of a specific instance of a UNIX system, one would use "the":
"The UNIX I installed yesterday doesn't work."  as opposed to "UNIX doesn't
work on my system."

Usually, when one talks about a VAX, it is about a specific instance.  If one
were to mean all Vaxes in general, one wouldn't use "the": "The VAX is up"
refers to a specific VAX; "VAXes are reliable" refers to VAXes in general.
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
aka Swazoo Koolak

{amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff
{ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff