Which meaning, IYO?

[M56]

"The archives of the medical department of Lourdes are filled with dossiers that detail well-authenticated cases of what are termed miraculous healings."

Does that mean:

The archives are filled with dossiers, and that these dossiers detail cases of
miraculous healings.

Or does it mean:

The archives are filled with dossiers, and dossiers in
general are things that detail cases of miraculous healings.

[edinohio]

Definitely number 1
Cheers
Ed

[M56]

Definitely number 1
Cheers
Ed

For me too, Ed. Thanks.

How about here? Meaning one, or meaning two?

"The archives of the medical department of Lourdes are filled with dossiers, which detail well-authenticated cases of what are termed miraculous healings."

[Roro]

Hello M56, Ed.
I have a question. I think it's fairly off-topic, but let me ask. (My question is still vague so I hesitate to make a new thread.)

The following two sentences are both correct?

[1] There are dossiers that detail well-authenticated cases of what are termed miraculous healings.

[2] There are the dossiers that detail well-authenticated cases of what are termed miraculous healings.

Please help me!

[Roro]

I guess, from what I gather, both [1] and [2] are correct, although:

[3] There are dossiers.

[4] *There are the dossiers.

(... but I'm not so sure if I'm right.)

[Tdol]

Imagine this:
In the archives of the medical department of Lourdes, there are dossiers that...
In the archives of the medical department of Lourdes, there are the dossiers that...

Here, the first suggests that the archives contain some dossiers about miracles, but these archives are not the only place that contains such dossiers. In the second, the article restricts the meaning for me and suggests that this is the only place that has such dossiers or that these dossiers are somehow better and more conclusive than others, that don't show the miracles so conclusively.

[Roro]

Aha!
Thank you tdol, for your explanation. Now I'm beginning to understand the difference more intuitively.

So... that definite article the in the second sentence identifies sort of dossiers as those in 'that~' clause, so to speak.

Please feel free to correct my mistakes.
Thank you again,

[M56]

Hello M56, Ed.
I have a question. I think it's fairly off-topic, but let me ask. (My question is still vague so I hesitate to make a new thread.)

The following two sentences are both correct?

[1] There are dossiers that detail well-authenticated cases of what are termed miraculous healings.

[2] There are the dossiers that detail well-authenticated cases of what are termed miraculous healings.

Please help me!

The first is fine and can stand alone.


The second needs cotext and context for it to be easily understood.

Examples:

<There are the dossiers that detail well-authenticated cases of what are termed miraculous healings.>

There are the dossiers that detail well-authenticated cases of what are termed miraculous healings, and there are those/the dossier/dossiers that detail other things.


Conversation:

A: But in support of our case, which evidence should we show these annoying detractors?

B: There are the dossiers[/b] that detail well-authenticated cases of what are termed miraculous healings.

[Roro]

Hello M56,
H'mm... Interesting !

The second needs cotext and context for it to be easily understood.

I think I'm beginning to understand the difference, thanks to you and tdol.

By the way where this conversation is taking place ?

[M56]

By the way where this conversation is taking place ?

Who knows? By the way, you need a comma after "by the way".