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3. definite and indefinite article

In the Neoslavonic language (as well as in all Slavic languages, Latin and Greek, for example) there is no indefinite article (a, an). In normal situations, we speak without any indefinite article. In special cases, when we strongly need to express our unfamiliarity to an object, it is possible to use the standard numeral "one" (m. jedin, f. jedna, n. jedno) or the indefinite pronoun "some, any" (m. niejaky, f. niejaka, n. niejake).

English definite
article "the" corresponds to the Neoslavonic demonstrative pronoun m. toj, f. ta, n. to. This demonstrative pronoun must be declined in 7 cases and 3 numbers, as you can see later. However, you should know that the Neoslavonic definite article is used only in clauses where we want to refer something already existed in previous clauses. This is the same place where English prefers to use pronouns "this, that, these, those".

Remember that Neoslavonic definite article does not serve to distinguish whether a word is a structured noun or something else. Neoslavonic has the synthetic grammar, which is able to ensure this necessary information by another grammatical elements. The role of the definite article in Neoslavonic is only and only referential. In other situations, the definite article is not used. From this perspective, It seems to English-speaking observers that Neoslavonic (and other Slavic languages as well) generally does not contain definite articles. 

The demonstrative pronoun m. toj, f. ta, n. to can be supplemented by more detail as:
  • m. tutoj, f. tuta, n. tuto (this here)
  • m. tamtoj, f. tamta, n. tamto (that there)

example 1

(dialogue between two persons)

A: Moj brat imaje veliky dom.
A: My brother has (3 sg.) (a) big house.     (dom = a house, moj brat = my brother)

B: Jako stary je toj dom?      
B: How old is that house?     (toj dom = the house, that house)

example 2

(dialogue between two persons)

A: Tu jest dom mojego brata.
A: Here is (a) house of my brother.     (dom = a house, mojego brata = of my brother)

B: Jako stary je toj/tutoj dom?      
B: How old is this house?     (tutoj dom = this house here)


The exception to this statement are the Slavic languages​​ having a reduction of declension of original 7 cases. This is the Bulgarian and (Slavo)Macedonian. These two languages use their definite article in (almost) the same way as English, but please remember, that Bulgarian and (Slavo)Macedonian definite article is spoken after the word and written together. For example: "a woman" = žena, "the woman" = ženata.

This is very similar to the archaic word order: noun-adjective-article being different from the modern word order: article-adjective-noun. (e.g. ta dobra žena = the good women, corresponds to archaic Old Church Slavonic: žena ta dobra)

Moreover, some Slavic languages ​​(southern languages and Czech) have yet another specialty, which is existence of definite and indefinite adjectives that slightly differ by suffixes. This very detail coming from the Old Church Slavonic is not incorporated into Neoslavonic.