Feature GB325: Is there a count/mass distinction in interrogative quantifiers?

Patrons: Hannah J. Haynie

Description ⇫

Summary

When interrogatives are used to question quantity, are different interrogative forms used to quantify count nouns and mass nouns? For example, English contrasts how many for count nouns (as in, how many apples?) and how much for mass nouns (as in, how much sand?). Languages that have at least one form that means either ‘how much' (of a mass noun) or ‘how many' (of a count noun), but not the alternative, are considered to have a count/mass distinction in interrogative quantifiers. Languages in which any interrogative quantifiers can be used interchangeably with both count and mass nouns do not have the relevant distinction.

Procedure

  1. Identify the interrogative forms that can be used to quantify nominals (as in English how much or how many).
  2. If the form used to express the meaning ‘how much' (of a mass noun) is different from the form used to express ‘how many' (of a count noun), code 1.
  3. If the form(s) used to express the meaning ‘how much' (of a mass noun) can also be used to express the meaning ‘how many' (of a count noun), and vice-versa, code 0.
  4. If there are multiple forms used to express the meanings ‘how much’ and/or ‘how many’, and at least one form is restricted to meaning either ‘how much’ (of a mass noun) or ‘how many’ (of a count noun) to the exclusion of the alternative, code 1.
  5. If a single interrogative quantifier is discussed, which is glossed as ‘how much/many’, but examples with both count and mass nouns are not provided, code 0.
  6. If one or both of the meanings ‘how much’ (of a mass noun) and ‘how many’ (of a count noun) is not mentioned or included in glossing and there are insufficient examples to identify interrogative quantifiers for both count and mass nouns, code ? and provide a comment.

Examples

Woods Cree (ISO 639-3: cwd, Glottolog: wood1236)

Woods Cree has separate content question words for the meanings ‘how much’ and ‘how many’ that are used with mass and count nouns respectively.

tâniδikoh(k)
tân+iδikohk
Q+so.far/long
‘how much’ (Starks 1992: 165)

tântahto
tân+tahto
Q+many
‘how many’ (Starks 1992: 165)

Woods Cree is coded 1.

Maricopa (ISO 639-3: mrc, Glottolog: mari1440)

A construction involving the verb lyvii-k and the interrogative prefix ka- is used in Maricopa to express both the meaning ‘how many’ (of a count noun) and ‘how much’ (of a mass noun).

m-naw-sh      ka-lyvii-m    m-wii-m
2-friend-SBJ  Q-be.like-DS  2-do-Q.REAL
‘How many friends do you have?’ (Gordon 1986: 205)

shiyaal  ka-lyvii-m    m-wii-m
money    Q-be.like-DS  2-do-Q.REAL  
‘How much money do you have?’ (Gordon 1986: 205)

Maricopa is coded 0.

Further reading

Gil, David. 1982. Distributive numerals. Los Angeles: University of California. (Doctoral dissertation.)

References

Gordon, Lynn. 1986. Maricopa morphology and syntax. (University of California Publications in Linguistics, 108.) Berkeley: University of California Press.

Starks, Donna Joy. 1992. Aspects of Woods Cree syntax. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba. (Doctoral dissertation.


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Name Glottocode Family Macroarea Contributor Value Source Comment