Possible Duplicate:
Is there a usage of “the” that indicates one out of a group of many?
The definite article is used when the referent is “uniquely identifiable” to the hearer, as many linguists say.
However, when it is used to express genericness as in this example:
The lion is an animal.
I just don’t think that the noun is referring to a “uniquely identifiable” entity.
As someone whose mother language has no article, I want to know how the definite article can refer both to uniquely identifiable referents and also to generic referents as well.
Could anyone explain?
Native speakers of English understand sentences that use the to express genericness even when they haven’t learned the usage, which means that what the indicates is ultimately one and only one.
There must be something common between the normal usage of the and the generic usage. That’s what I want to know. Telling me what kind of lion would come to mind when seeing a sentence like
The lion is an animal.
would also help.
