UID:
almahu_9949481427402882
Format:
1 online resource (319 p.)
ISBN:
9783110304992
,
9783110649772
Series Statement:
Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs [TiLSM] , 263
Content:
This monograph addresses fundamental syntactic issues of classifier constructions, based on a thorough study of a typical classifier language, Mandarin Chinese. It shows that the contrast between count and mass is not binary. Instead, there are two independently attested features: Numerability, the ability of a noun to combine with a numeral directly, and Delimitability, the ability of a noun to be modified by a delimitive modifier, such as size, shape, or boundary modifier. Although all nouns in Chinese are non-count nouns, there is still a mass/non-mass contrast, with mass nouns selected by individuating classifiers and non-mass nouns selected by individual classifiers. Some languages have the counterparts of Chinese individuating classifiers only, some languages have the counterparts of Chinese individual classifiers only, and some other languages have no counterpart of either individual or individuating classifiers of Chinese. The book also reports that unit plurality can be expressed by reduplicative classifiers in the language. Moreover, for the constituency of a numeral expression, an individual, individuating, or kind classifier combines with the noun first and then the numeral is integrated; but a partitive or collective classifier, like a measure word, combines with the numeral first, before the noun is integrated into the whole nominal structure. Furthermore, the book identifies the syntactic positions of various uses of classifiers in the language. A classifier is at a functional head position that has a dependency with a numeral, or a position that has a dependency with a generic or existential quantifier, or a position that represents the singular-plural contrast, or a position that licenses a delimitive modifier when the classifier occurs in a compound.
Note:
Frontmatter --
,
Contents --
,
Acknowledgments --
,
Abbreviations --
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Chapter 1: Introduction --
,
Chapter 2: Classifiers and countability --
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Chapter 3: Classifiers and quantifiers --
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Chapter 4: Classifiers and plurality --
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Chapter 5: The syntactic constituency of numeral expressions --
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Chapter 6: The syntactic positions of classifiers --
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Chapter 7: Noun-classifier compounds --
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Chapter 8: Conclusions --
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References --
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Subject index --
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Language index
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Issued also in print.
,
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
,
In English.
In:
Asian Studies Backlist (2000-2014) eBook Package, De Gruyter, 9783110649772
In:
DGBA Backlist Complete English Language 2000-2014 PART1, De Gruyter, 9783110238570
In:
DGBA Backlist Linguistics and Semiotics 2000-2014 (EN), De Gruyter, 9783110238457
In:
DGBA Linguistics and Semiotics 2000 - 2014, De Gruyter, 9783110636970
In:
De Gruyter Mouton Backlist 2000-2015, De Gruyter, 9783110742961
In:
E-BOOK GESAMTPAKET / COMPLETE PACKAGE 2013, De Gruyter, 9783110317350
In:
E-BOOK PACKAGE ENGLISH LINGUISTICS 2013, De Gruyter, 9783110317244
In:
E-BOOK PAKET LINGUISTIK 2013, De Gruyter, 9783110317237
Additional Edition:
ISBN 9783110303742
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1515/9783110304992
URL:
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110304992
URL:
https://www.degruyter.com/isbn/9783110304992
