The following examples show that the short form can be used as a floating quantifier, that is, as an adverbial that modifies an argument:

In the first example, the universal quantifier functions as an adverb modifying the question word. In the second example, the adverbial modifies the silent subject of the imperative. It can also be used as a predeterminer in front of the definite article, in the following examples:

The last example is peculiar as it combines the universal quantifier with the quantifier of high quantity. The quantifier of high quantity is used in this example as an adjective, although it doesn’t have the ending which would be expected. The ending of the high quantity quantifier is simply wrong. However, the German equivalent is perfectly grammatical: die vielen Leute, so this seems to be a case of interference, because fuul ‘much’ is not inflected in Saterland Frisian. Apart from this, the examples show that aal ‘all’ is used as a predeterminer, and as an adverbial quantifier. Alle, in contrast, is a normal determiner inside NP.

Nevertheless, it is also possible to have aal directly in argument position, as a nominalised quantifier. The first example has the quantifier sitting in the position of a prepositional object, in the second example it heads a topic which is resumed as the subject:

Note that aal may refer indiscriminately to persons (the first example above) and to things (the last example above). There is also a distributive universal quantifier: älk ‘each’. It can either be used by itself, or it can be used in a phrase: älk-un-een ‘everyone’. It can function as a determiner, as a nominalised determiner and as an adverbial inside VP. An example of each of these uses is given below:

When used attributively, the determiner always has a schwa. The determiner älke is not inflected in the attributive construction, not does it trigger agreement on following APs (see AP). However, it is inflected in some recent written work, which features many interferences which are characteristic of present-day speech.

In addition, we encounter the universal reciprocals: enefoaruur ‘each in the presence of the other’ and enemäddänuur ‘the one with the other’, see: the reciprocal pronoun. These may be used as arguments with a universal interpretation. An example of each is given below (there is variation in the past tense of the modal verb):

These are rather peculiar constructions, not to mention the variation in the past tense of wolle ‘want’ which need not concern us here There is also a phrase with a similar structure signifying: ‘every second one’: een uum t uur ‘one around the other’. Two examples are given below:

A stook is a group of three or four sheaves supporting each other. The second example shows that the idiom is also used to express the concept of taking turns. In both examples, the phrase is used as an adverbial phrase. It does not directly occupy an argument position like the subject or the object position.

The universal quantifier allemon (literally: all man) has a slightly pejorative sound, because of the expression Jan un allemon ‘Jan and everybody’

In the examples above, the quantifier applies to persons or things. A universal quantifier can also refer to places. The universal quantifier for places is: allerwegense ‘everywhere’.

It is homophonous to the R-pronoun which may function as an adpositional object meaning ‘everything’, see: R-pronouns (9). The universal quantifier for time and frequency is: aaltied ‘always’, or alledege ‘always’. In addition, there’s the negative polarity item: silläärge ‘ever’. It may combine with negation to express temporal negation, see Negative quantification. But by itself, it can also mean ‘still, always’, as in the following example:

In the example above, the universal quantification is restricted to the past and the present.