Interpretation of Elements Preceding Vietnamese Nouns: A Cognitive Grammar Perspective

Abstract

Although limited in number, the elements that precede nouns in Vietnamese have been subjected to  very different interpretations regarding their semantics and word class among Vietnamese linguists. In this article, we point out the shortcomings in the existing analyses and from the perspective of cognitive grammar, propose a more consistent interpretation. We classify these pre-nominal elements into two types: quantifiers and articles. Quantifiers include absolute quantifiers (i.e., numerals) and relative quantifiers. Relative quantifiers include proportional quantifiers and symbolic quantifiers. Measure words and articles are analyzed as nominal grounding elements. Grounding is defined as the process of locating an entity relative to the ground. Grounding allows the participants of a speech act to establish a mental connection with the designated entity. Grounding elements are elements that specifically serve this grounding function.