The concept of the article in french and its development from the 17th century to the present

Abstract

The article presents a condensed overview of the historical development of the concept of the article ih French from the 17th century to the present day. Most of the author's attention is aimed at the consideration of the stylistic value or the article, the article as a part of speech, the problem of the indefinite article, the determinative function of the article and the meaning of the article. His sources are: Port Royal Grammar, Dumarsais, Duclos, Condillac, J. Harris, Thurot, Wailly and Wilmet (for the 20th century). The author attempts to determine the key moments and qualitative shifts in reflections upon the article, the conditions of these and their effect on the further development of knowledge. A distinction is made between those relying on the Latin grammatical tradition and those who directly relied on the Greek grammaticians. The sensitive and controversial nature of the article is still an open theme for debate: the article as a part of speech and the status of the indefinite article. Susceptibility to the nuances of language expression and subtle linguistic analyses are demanded. The debate over the article in French has come up with some fundamental discoveries, beginning with degrees of determination of the article le, that correspond to what Classical logic has named the individual, species and genus, to the discovery of the category of extension which is concealed under the opposition un/le and which represents the formal expression of the basic mechanism of particularization and generalization on which are founded the constructive and functional principles of language. Debates over the article very often cease where linguistic problems become general problems of human thought and cognition.