Genericity is reflected in two rather different phenomena in natural language. One phenomenon involves noun phrases which refer to genera, or kinds, such as shīzi 獅子 ‘lions’, in sentences such as (1):
| 1. | 我喜歡獅子。 |
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| Wǒ xǐhuān shīzi. |
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| 1sg like lion |
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| ‘I like lions’. |
Such noun phrases are called generic or kind-referring NPs. The other phenomenon is exhibited by sentences which involve generic characterizations such as (2a) or habituals such as (2b).
| 2. | a. | 奇異果富含維他命C。 |
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| Qíyìguǒ fùhán wéitāmìng C. |
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| kiwi richly.contain vitamin C |
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| ‘Kiwis are rich in… |