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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono

The kimono is a Japanese traditional garment.

Why is it the definite article the and not the indefinite article a? What is wrong with saying "a kimono is a Japanese traditional garment"?

None
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Michael Rybkin
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    There is nothing wrong with it. But then again, why would there be anything wrong with using the? – oerkelens Sep 15 '14 at 12:28
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    You might find that this answer answers your question. To me the use of "the" in your example fits in what J.R. calls use "with a singular noun to indicate that it represents a whole species or class". – None Sep 15 '14 at 12:30
  • You may also consider the answers to this question: http://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/30999/the-articles-a-and-the-in-generic-statements/31001#31001 – Will Murphy Sep 15 '14 at 12:35

2 Answers2

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Either works in that sentence, though the meaning is very slightly different.

Normally, when you put "the" in front of a noun, you are referring to one particular instance of that thing. Like, "Sally wore a red kimono": one of many red kimonos that she owns or that exist in the world. I'd probably say this if I had never seen her wearing this particular kimono before, or if there was nothing of itself that made it distinct. "Sally wore the red kimono": Some specific red kimono, or more likely, the specific kimono that is red. Like if Sally owned 3 kimonos, and today she word the red one, we might say, "She wore THE red kimono", as opposed to the blue one or the green one.

But in this case, "the" is being used with a different definition. Here it means "the class of things". When we say, "The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment", by "the kimono" we mean the category of clothing that is the kimono. The meaning is very similar to if you used a collective "kimonos", but we do this when it is more clear to use the noun in the singular. "Kimonos are traditional Japanese garments" is also correct, but in context, it is possible that the reader might be confused if this means there are several different types of kimonos, or just one.

"The computer is a 20th century invention." "The Scotsman is a very frugal person." "Isaac Newton invented the reflecting telescope." In all these cases, "the" is being used to refer to the set of things as if it was a single thing.

Jay
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    +1, I remember another classic example like "The tiger is endagered". Here, just like in your examples above, the is used to refer to a whole family of animals, i.e. species, and not to a specific tiger. – user132181 Sep 15 '14 at 13:57
  • "The Scotsman is a very frugal person" has the opposite meaning in this case. You could replace "The Scotsman" with "Colm" and you'd get the same meaning. On the other hand, "A Scotsman is a very frugal person" reads like a moral imperative applying to all Scotsmen. –  Sep 15 '14 at 16:32
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    I'd add that context is critical in discerning between "classification" use and "instance" use. Especially your example of "The Scotsman" depends entirely on whether or not a specific Scotsman is in any way related to the context of the statement. While talking about a specific Scotsman, you might succeed in describing a generalization about all Scotsmen by saying "The Scotsman..." but I feel like your success depends on the listener's ability to identify generalizations, possibly only by characteristic tone and inflection (assuming you're speaking aloud). Drax would likely misunderstand. – talrnu Sep 15 '14 at 18:02
  • It's true that context can alter the meaning. Suppose I was talking about 3 specific people, and I said, "Angus is from Scotland, Bruce is from Australia, and Richard is from Canada. The Canadian is a spendthrift, but the Scotsman is very frugal." Then clearly I am talking about one specific Scotsman. But if I said, "The typical Italian is very outgoing. The Scotsman is often frugal. The Canadian is very polite", I think people would understand me to be talking about categories or stereotypes. – Jay Sep 15 '14 at 20:15
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"A kimono is a traditional Japanese garment" could be read as "There is some particular kimono that is a traditional Japanese garment", by analogy with "A person is outside the door."

The statement "The kimono is..." is a statement about kimonos in general but written in a style that avoids needing to use the plural.

David Richerby
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