Measure words and classifiers

This paper investigates the relation between measure words and mensural classifiers in numeral classifier languages. Based on data from three numeral classifier languages (Mandarin, Mokilese and Taba), the paper gives some preliminary evidence that measure words can be both classifier-like and noun-like in numeral classifier languages. This observation is discussed in the light of Rothstein’s (2009, 2011) distinction between measuring and counting, Krifka’s (1995) numeral based analysis of numeral classifier languages and Chierchia’s (1997) proposal of treating nouns in classifier languages as kinds. Crucially, if the measure words are treated as nouns, one has to take into account that the atomic entities corresponding to units of measurement typically overlap. This is problematic for the type of interpretation that Chierchia (1997) assigns to kinds, as the kinds corresponding to different units of time would be indistinguishable. Other approaches will need a non-overlap condition on counting structures

Counting and degree modification

Dans cet article, nous défendons l’hypothèse selon laquelle le nombre et les classificateurs se comportent d’une manière fondamentalement différente dans les domaines nominal et verbal. L’emploi des numéraux dans une expression qui ‘compte’ une quantité d’individus ou d’événements est différent selon que la catégorie modifiée est nominale ou bien verbale (trois visites vs. visiter trois *(fois)). Par contre, les expressions de degré s’utilisent de manière similaire dans les domaines nominal et verbal (beaucoup de visites vs. beaucoup visiter). Cette différence semble trouver son origine dans l’interaction de ces deux types d’expressions de quantité avec le nombre et les classificateurs. Si, dans beaucoup de langues, les numéraux s’utilisent uniquement en combinaison avec la morphologie du nombre ou avec un classificateur, les expressions de degré se combinent plutôt avec des expressions a référence cumulative.This paper defends the hypothesis that number and classifiers behave differently in nominal and in verbal structures. When numerals are used in order to ‘count’ a number of objects or events, they interact differently with nouns and verbs (compare three visits with to visit three *(times)). Degree modifiers, on the other hand, behave rather similarly in the nominal and in the verbal domains (compare a lot of visits with to visit a lot). The paper discusses the source of this difference. In many languages, numerals require the presence of classifiers and/or number, while degree modifiers are sensitive to cumulative reference, a property shared by nominal and verbal structures. Given the hypothesis that nouns and verbs interact differently with number and classifiers, the different behaviour of numerals with nouns and verbs can be understood

The mountains are impure: the semantics of lexical plurality

This paper is concerned with the semantics of so-called plurals of extension, a class of lexical plurals such as mountains, cliffs, skies, Hebrides, and Pyrenees. While similar on the surface to regular plural nouns, they behave differently in certain regards, including their compatibility with determiners, interpretation in half of the N partitives and possibility to occur as weak definites. We will argue that plurals of extension denote predicates over impure atoms, predicting that theybehave as singulars from a semantic point of view and as plurals from a morphological point of view. The analysis will be extended to temporal plurals of extension and plural mass nouns

A Neo-Kleinian Approach to Comparatives

No abstract

Very small or just not too big? Stratified reference and granularity

Theoretical and Experimental Linguistic

Dislocations in French

International audienceno abstrac

2007. Linguistic perspectives on numerical expressions: Introduction. Lingua, Special issue on Linguistic perspectives on numerical expressions

Abstract How is our knowledge of the number system represented in numerical expressions in human language? After briefly discussing aspects of the development, morphosyntax, and use of number words, this introduction summarizes how the six contributions to this special issue approach this central question.