Feature GB317: Is dual number regularly marked in the noun phrase by a dedicated phonologically free element?

Patrons: Hedvig Skirgård

Description ⇫

Summary

This feature intends to capture dual marking with an open set of nouns, not with a restricted set. Nouns derived from adjectives or verbs are not relevant. This feature contrasts with GB043 Is there a productive morphological dual marker on nouns? which focuses on bound marking of dual number.

Number marking is often fused with marking of other categories, such as definiteness/specificity or gender/noun class. It is possible for the number marker to also signal other functions and still be coded as 1, as long as these other functions do not interfere with the number distinctions and as long as number marking is productive and regular.

It can be difficult to determine how obligatory markers of dual, trial and paucal number are since they can often be replaced by plural number marking. If the grammar writers describe the marker as denoting grammatical number and there are several examples, this suffices.

Procedure

  1. Consider the section in the grammar that deals with number or with noun phrases.
  2. If the author describes an overt free-standing marker of dual number that occurs regularly, code 1.
  3. If the grammar describes dual number as not marked productively or as only expressed with a bound marker, code 0.
  4. If the grammar does not describe number marking at all and you have a reason to believe that the author may have missed it, code ?.
  5. If the grammar does not describe number, you encounter no examples of number marking, and the grammar is otherwise comprehensive, code 0.

Examples

Lenakel (ISO 639-3: tnl, Glottolog: lena1238])

In Lenkael nouns are marked for dual number by the free-standing marker mil Lynch(1978: 34). Lenakel is coded 1.

Iemaamh      menuk  mil   kauhia
i-ɨm-aamh    menuk  mil   k-auhia
1SG-PST-see  bird   DU    3.NSG-yellow 
‘I saw two yellow birds.’

Further reading

Corbett, Greville G. 2000. Number. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

References

Lynch, John. 1978. A grammar of Lenakel. (Pacific linguistics: Series B, 55.) Canberra: Department of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University. vi+135pp. (Bibliography: p. 134-135).

Morphological number marking

Phonologically free number marking

Number agreement within the noun phrase

Other


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0 absent 1929
1 present 77
? Not known 125
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Values ⇫

Name Glottocode Family Macroarea Contributor Value Source Comment