ARTICLE
An article (abbreviated ) is a word (or prefix or suffix) that is used with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. . The articles in the English language are the and a/an, and (in some contexts) some. 'An' and 'a' are modern forms of the Old English 'an'. Both 'on' and 'an' survived into Modern English, with 'one' used as the number and 'an' ('a', before nouns that begin with a consonant sound) as an indefinite article. Traditionally in English, an article is usually considered to be a type of adjective.
In languages that employ articles, every common noun, with some exceptions, is expressed with a certain definiteness (e.g., definite or indefinite), just as many languages express every noun with a certain grammatical number (e.g., singular or plural). Every noun must be accompanied by the article, if any, corresponding to its definiteness, and the lack of an article (considered a zero article) itself specifies a certain definiteness..[1]
Types
Articles are usually characterized as either definite or indefinite.
Within each type, languages may have various forms of each article, according to grammatical attributes such as gender, number, or case, or according to adjacent sounds.
Definite article
A definite article indicates that its noun is a particular one (or ones) identifiable to the listener.It may be something uniquely specified. The definite article in English, for both singular and plural nouns, is the.
The children know the fastest way home.
The sentence refers to specific children and a specific way home.
Children know the fastest way home.
The latter sentence refers to children in general.
Give me the book.
refers to a specific book whose identity is known or obvious to the listener.
Give me a book.
which does not specify what book is to be given.
.
The definite article is sometimes also used with proper names, which are already specified by definition (there is just one of them). For example: the Amazon.
Indefinite article
An indefinite article indicates that its noun is not a particular one (or ones) identifiable to the listener. The speaker may be making a general statement about any such thing. English uses a/an. It is primary indefinite article. The form an is used before words that begin with a vowel sound ( as in an hour), and a before words that begin with a consonant sound (even if spelled with a vowel, as in a European).
Example:
She had a house so large that an elephant would get lost without a map.
Partitive article
A partitive article is a type of indefinite article used with a mass noun such as water, to indicate a non-specific quantity of it. In English is some, although this is considered a determiner and not an article.
Example:
Do you want some coffee?
Negative article
A negative article specifies none of its noun, and can thus be regarded as neither definite nor indefinite. On the other hand, some consider such a word to be a simple determiner rather than an article. In English, this function is fulfilled by no, which can appear before a singular or plural noun:
Example:
No dogs are allowed here.
Zero article
The zero article is the absence of an article. In languages having a definite article, the lack of an article specifically indicates that the noun is indefinite .In English, the zero article rather than the indefinite is used with plurals and mass nouns, although the word "some" can be used as an indefinite plural article.
Example:
Visitors end up walking in mind.
Articles used in the worl
d's most widely spoken languages
Language definite article indefinite article partitive article
Arabic al- or el ال (prefix) None
Hebrew ha- ה (prefix) None
Greek ο, η, το
οι, οι, τα ένας, μια, ένα
English the a, an Some
German der, die, das
des, dem, den ein, eine, einer, eines
einem, einen
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