What as a determiner

[Grablevskij]

What is a determiner.
Proof: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/what?q=what

In a textbook in my native language I read two rules there is an indefinite article:
1. Exclamatory sentences there is an indefinite article and no articles for plural/uncountable nouns:
What a fine building.
What fine buildings.
What fine weather.
2. In interrogative sentences there is no article:
What book did you buy yesterday?

Ok. Case 2 is definitely a determiner. But what about case 1? What rule can we apply here? What is not a determiner here? If not, what is it?

 

[jutfrank]

Rule? What do you mean? Are you just asking what part of speech what is in exclamatory sentences? Why? If I were you, I'd focus solely on what it does and how to use it.

Anyhow, in terms of category, I should imagine it belongs in a class of its own. Exclamative?

 

[Grablevskij]

Rule? What do you mean?

There is a rule that a determiner excludes any other determiner. Only one determinaer is possible.
'What' is a determiner. And 'a' is a determiner.

So, this rule is not applicable. There must be another rule.

The question may not be about pars of speech.
'What' seems to be a pronoun in both cases.

But whether it is a determiner or not is a mystery for me.
Or maybe a determiner may be combined with other determiners?
Maybe 'what' is a predeterminer?

Anyway, something is strange here for me.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

That's a "rule" I've never heard before. But you might be able to untangle your problem this way:

First, don't look at exclamations. They're not really sentences, so they'll confuse the issue. Consider:

- Ouch!
- Wow!
- Oh my gosh!
- Holy moly!
- What luck!

Instead, think about these two sentences:

- What a difference a day makes.

- A day makes such a difference.

What part of speech is such? What does that tell you about the first sentence?

 

[PaulMatthews]

What is a determiner.
Proof: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/what?q=what

In a textbook in my native language I read two rules there is an indefinite article:
1. Exclamatory sentences there is an indefinite article and no articles for plural/uncountable nouns:
What a fine building.
What fine buildings.
What fine weather.
2. In interrogative sentences there is no article:
What book did you buy yesterday?

Ok. Case 2 is definitely a determiner. But what about case 1? What rule can we apply here? What is not a determiner here? If not, what is it?

Exclamative “what” is an adjective, functioning as a modifier: either predeterminer (outside the nominal) in constructions with “a”, or internal in non-count or plural NPs :

What [a fine building]. [Predeterminer modifier]

[What fine weather]. ... [Internal modifier]

 

[jutfrank]

What [a fine building]. [Predeterminer modifier]

[What fine weather]. ... [Internal modifier]

I don't mean to argue but I'm finding it hard to make sense of this analysis. This is how I see it:

1) What [a fine building]
2) What [fine buildings]
3) What [fine weather]

In each case the What is external to the nominal. What makes 2 and 3 different from 1 is that they include an unarticulated, but internal zero determiner. Could you comment on whether this analysis is at all reasonable?

 

[PaulMatthews]

I don't mean to argue but I'm finding it hard to make sense of this analysis. This is how I see it:

1) What [a fine building]
2) What [fine buildings]
3) What [fine weather]

In each case the What is external to the nominal. What makes 2 and 3 different from 1 is that they include an unarticulated, but internal zero determiner. Could you comment on whether this analysis is at all reasonable?

I'd say that "what" is an internal modifier in 2) and 3), i.e. within the nominal. The brackets I drew in #7 were intended simply to mark the nominal.

 

[Franklin Ross]

Thanks for the link. Very clear primary source!