Bare plurals in article-less languages as weak definites

Abstract

Bare plural arguments (BPs) in article-less languages (ALs) occurring in episodic contexts have received unambiguously existential analyses and ones ambiguous between definite and narrow-scope existential interpretations. Based on novel data from six ALs we propose a third option, building on suggestions by Dayal (2013); Modarresi & Krifka (2021) and Mirrazi (2021): we argue that at least in these languages BPs receive definite interpretations via a weak definite operator. BPs are shown to be fully parallel to English definite plurals in their ability to occur in so-called non-maximal contexts. This perspective aligns with Heim (1982)’s and Schwarz (2009)’s distinction between the two dimensions of definiteness – familiarity and maximality. We argue that the latter is a defining feature of BPs.