Indefinite adjectives: Confusion with other type values

<BODY LANG="EN" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> <P> <A NAME="efaict"> </A><H3><A NAME="SECTION00054400000000000000">Indefinite adjectives: Confusion with other <B>type</B> values</A></H3> <P> Some adjectives can have the <B>type</B> value <EM>indefinite adjective</EM> and <EM>qualitative adjective</EM>. <P> <EM>Test</EM>: <P> Given <EM>X</EM> an adjective: If <EM>X</EM> has the values <EM>+quantity</EM>, <EM>-countability</EM>, or <EM>+identity</EM>, or <EM>+otherness</EM>, and if <EM>X</EM> can -- with the same meaning -- only be in anteposition to the noun, then <EM>X</EM>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=indf</FONT></SMALL>; otherwise, <EM>X</EM>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=qual</FONT></SMALL>. <P> <CENTER> <P> <TABLE COLS=4 BORDER FRAME=BOX RULES=GROUPS> <COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT> <TBODY> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=CENTER NOWRAP COLSPAN=2> <B>type=indf</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=CENTER NOWRAP COLSPAN=2><B>type=qual</B></TD></TR> </TBODY><TBODY> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>Description</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Example</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Description</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Example</B></TD></TR> </TBODY><TBODY> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>adjective used as<BR>indefinite adjective</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>un <B>quelconque</B><A NAME="12103"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=indf</FONT></SMALL> livre</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>adjective used as<BR>qualitative adjective</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>un livre<BR><B>quelconque</B><A NAME="12111"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=qual</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>  </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>les <B>diverses</B><A NAME="12132"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=indf</FONT></SMALL> personnes que<BR>j'ai rencontrées</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>les personnes<BR><B>diverses</B><A NAME="12140"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=qual</FONT></SMALL> et variées<BR>que j'ai rencontrées</TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>  </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>les <B>différentes</B><A NAME="12166"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=indf</FONT></SMALL> personnes que<BR>j'ai rencontrées</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>les personnes<BR><B>différentes</B><A NAME="12176"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=qual</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>  </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>les <B>autres</B><A NAME="12192"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=indf</FONT></SMALL> personnes que<BR>j'ai rencontrées</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>les personnes sont<BR>devenues <B>autres</B><A NAME="12200"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a<BR>& type=qual</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>  </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>un <B>seul</B><A NAME="12216"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=indf</FONT></SMALL> homme est<BR>venu</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>un homme <B>seul</B><A NAME="12224"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=qual</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR> </TBODY> </TABLE> <P> </CENTER> <P> The plural forms of the morphological units `différent', `divers' and `certains' can either be a <EM>qualitative adjective</EM>, or an <EM>indefinite determiner</EM>. <P> <EM>Test</EM>: <P> If <EM>X</EM> is in postposition to the noun, then <EM>X</EM>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a & type=qual</FONT></SMALL>; otherwise, if <EM>X</EM> is in anteposition to the noun, and if <EM>X</EM> is at the left end of the NP, then <EM>X</EM>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=d & type=indf</FONT></SMALL>. <P> <CENTER> <P> <TABLE COLS=4 BORDER FRAME=BOX RULES=GROUPS> <COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT> <TBODY> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=CENTER NOWRAP COLSPAN=2> <B>pos=a & type=qual</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=CENTER NOWRAP COLSPAN=2><B>pos=d & type=indf</B></TD></TR> </TBODY><TBODY> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>Description</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Example</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Description</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Example</B></TD></TR> </TBODY><TBODY> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>qualitative adjective</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>des hommes<BR><B>différents</B><A NAME="12478"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=qual</FONT></SMALL> vivent ici</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>indefinite determiner</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>différents</B><A NAME="12488"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=d &<BR>type=indf</FONT></SMALL> hommes<BR>habitent ici</TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>  </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>les choix sont<BR><B>divers</B><A NAME="12506"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=qual</FONT></SMALL> et<BR> <B>variés</B><A NAME="12519"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a & type=qual</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>divers</B><A NAME="12524"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=d &<BR>type=indf</FONT></SMALL> choix</TD></TR> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>  </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>les hommes sont<BR><B>certains</B><A NAME="12540"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=a &<BR>type=qual</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> </TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>certains</B><A NAME="12548"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=d &<BR>type=indf</FONT></SMALL> hommes</TD></TR> </TBODY> </TABLE> <P> </CENTER> <P> Confusion can occur between the <B>type</B> values <EM>ord</EM> and <EM>qual</EM>. <P> <EM>Test</EM>: <P> If <EM>X</EM> denotes the numeric rank of an element, <EM>X</EM>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=ord</FONT></SMALL>; otherwise, if <EM>X</EM> denotes a non-numeric rank, <EM>X</EM>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=indf</FONT></SMALL>. <P> <CENTER> <TABLE COLS=4 BORDER FRAME=BOX RULES=GROUPS> <COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT> <TBODY> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=CENTER NOWRAP COLSPAN=2> <B>type=ord</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=CENTER NOWRAP COLSPAN=2><B>type=qual</B></TD></TR> </TBODY><TBODY> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>Description</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Example</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Description</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Example</B></TD></TR> </TBODY><TBODY> <TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>ordinal adjective</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>Le <B>premier</B><A NAME="12585"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=ord</FONT></SMALL><BR>homme</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>qualitative adjective</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>Le <B>dernier</B><A NAME="12593"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=qual</FONT></SMALL><BR>homme</TD></TR> </TBODY> </TABLE> </CENTER> <P> <HR> <P><ADDRESS> </ADDRESS> </BODY>