Donkey sentence

[Golahet]

How does your language handle donkey sentences, like English or in some other way?


1. Every farmer who owns a donkey beats it. [[ there are several donkeys involved, each one with its own owner, and the owner is the one that beats it ]]

2. Every police officer who arrested a murderer insulted him. [[ analogy-ditto ]]


The thing is that "it" refers to one specific definite donkey in the case of one farmer, but to another specific definite donkey in the case of another farmer, and "him" refers to one specific definite murderer in the case of one police officer, but to another specific definite murderer in the case of another police officer, etc. In each case the donkey that "it" refers to is specifically the donkey that a specific farmer owns.


What about distinguishing them from these:

3. Every farmer who owns a donkey beats it. [[ there's just a single donkey, and every farmer that owns this single donkey beats it ]]

4. Every police officer who arrested a murderer insulted him. [[ analogy-ditto ]]

?

[Lambuzhao]

What about distinguishing them from these:

3. Every farmer who owns a donkey beats it. [[ there's just a single donkey, and every farmer that owns this single donkey beats it ]]

4. Every police officer who arrested a murderer insulted him. [[ analogy-ditto ]]

?

*clarification*

For me, the use of indefinite "a" in #3-4 does not convey the meaning you have in double brackets. The indefinite is too vague, and maps more clearly to what you have in double brackets for #1-2, IMO.

For sentences #3-4, I think, if a single donkey/murderer is concerned, the
English should be:

3. Every farmer who owns that donkey beats it. [[ there's a single, solitary donkey involved, and every farmer that owns this same donkey winds up beating it ]]


4. Every police officer who arrested that murderer insulted him. [[ there's a single, solitary murderer, and every officer that arrests this same murderer winds up insulting him]]

Did these examples come from a textbook?

[Golahet]

But "that donkey" is definite. Maybe this could be a better choice:

3. A donkey is beaten by every farmer who owns it.

or

3. Every farmer who owns a certain donkey beats it.

?

No, sentence 3 and 4 was made by me.