The notion of relation, which Sapir used in order to give a semblance of unity to his non-lexical units, is extremely vague and misleading: there is no doubt that a definite article normally involves some relation to what precedes, since one of its normal functions is to indicate that the accompanying being, object, or notion has been previously mentioned. But the role is in no way distinct from that of pointing to the fact of that being, object, or notion universally known, as when we say 'the sun', 'the King', and 'the lion' for the species.
- Martinet (1962), a pag.96