A Note About Abstract Nouns

In this note, we will argue that abstract nouns denote the abstract if they are found in an underspecified determiner phrase. We will argue that the absence of the classifying phrase will be responsible for denoting the abstract. Therefore, it will be the structure and not the abstract name in itself that will allow us to denote the abstract. We will also argue that the absence of this phrase is related to world's knowledge Since we cannot perceive the abstract, we cannot partition it. Thus, we do not have a classifier phrase and the structure of the determiner phrase reflects, in a sense, the knowledge we have about the world.