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Romániço Articles

An article is a determiner that introduces a person or thing, such as the and a. English and Romániço both recognize two varieties of article, indefinite and definite:


Indefinite Articles

The indefinite article implies that the person or thing being introduced is non-specific. In most cases, English uses a(n), whereas Romániço uses nothing at all:

mactisto, cocisto, candelierefisto   a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker
unuvece en vivdurationo   once in a lifetime

However, to underscore that the speaker is unfamiliar with the person or thing being introduced, or that it is but one of a class of otherwise unique people or things, Romániço uses álica (“some”):

Álica cherlo colisionin cun mia parafango, et mi dicin ad li ‘Eses fructosa et multeces’. Mas ne per ecuila vocábulos.   Some guy hit my fender, and I told him ‘be fruitful, and multiply.’ But not in those words.
Discurso politichisca an nosa ménsulo! Mi sentan mi cuomo álica Kennedy!   A political discussion at our table! I feel like a Kennedy!

Alternatively, one can use cuida (“a certain”) to indicate that the person or thing being introduced, while specific, is not explicitly named or stated, or that it is unknown to the listener or reader:

Se cuida personos plu vécula et sapia vol ne comportin cuale infantetos et ne deventionin tale sentimentema, alore omno vol es bona.   If certain older, wiser people hadn’t acted like such little babies and gotten so mushy, then everything would be OK.
Dunche vi comprensun che cuo mi dicin ad vi es vera ... de cuida vidpunto.   So you see, what I’ve told you is true ... from a certain point of view.


Definite Articles

The definite article implies that the person or thing being introduced has already been mentioned, is common knowledge, or is about to be defined. Romániço has two definite articles — la, which singles out a person or thing from other, similar people or things, and il, which uses a person or thing to represent all other people or things like it:

Li es la servisto cua prendan pecunio.   It’s the servant (eg., ours) who takes money. Li es il servisto cua prendan pecunio.   It’s the servant (as a class) who takes money. Mi odian la infanto.   I hate the kid. (the one we’re talking about) Mi odian il infanto.   I hate kids. Fatatos vestuman botos.   (Some) Fairies wear boots. Il fatato vestuman botos.   (All) Fairies wear boots.

When followed by an adjective, la can be used to imply a person or thing. To emphasize that multiple persons or things are being implied, one uses los (“they”):

Mia matro dicin che mi selectes la maxim bona, et vi ne es li.   My mother told me to pick the very best one and you are not it. Mia matro dicin che mi selectes los maxim bona, et vos ne es los.   My mother told me to pick the very best ones and you are not they.

Other than singling out individual items from groups or using individual items to represent the group, Romániço doesn’t much use its definite articles. Which sets it apart from other European languages in that it does not use the definite articles:

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