There are 3 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1a. Mass Nouns
From: Dustfinger Batailleur
1b. Re: Mass Nouns
From: Leonardo Castro
1c. Re: Mass Nouns
From: H. S. Teoh
Messages
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1a. Mass Nouns
Posted by: "Dustfinger Batailleur" dustfinge...@gmail.com
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:36 pm ((PDT))
Are there natural languages that have no mass nouns? How about only
residual instances of these or of count nouns?
Of those languages that use mass nouns in opposition to count nouns, what
criteria do they use to determine whether a noun will be count or mass? Are
there any such languages with interesting criteria, or radically different
from the SAE languages?
Basically a mass vs count noun thread.
Messages in this topic (3)
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1b. Re: Mass Nouns
Posted by: "Leonardo Castro" leolucas1...@gmail.com
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2013 2:54 pm ((PDT))
Good question! As Mandarin requires numerary adjuncts, I have an impression
that its nouns are uncountable alone...
Em sábado, 10 de agosto de 2013, Dustfinger Batailleur<
dustfinge...@gmail.com> escreveu:
> Are there natural languages that have no mass nouns? How about only
> residual instances of these or of count nouns?
>
> Of those languages that use mass nouns in opposition to count nouns, what
> criteria do they use to determine whether a noun will be count or mass?
Are
> there any such languages with interesting criteria, or radically different
> from the SAE languages?
>
> Basically a mass vs count noun thread.
>
--
Até mais!
Leonardo
Messages in this topic (3)
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1c. Re: Mass Nouns
Posted by: "H. S. Teoh" hst...@quickfur.ath.cx
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2013 3:01 pm ((PDT))
On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 06:54:04PM -0300, Leonardo Castro wrote:
> Good question! As Mandarin requires numerary adjuncts, I have an
> impression that its nouns are uncountable alone...
In Mandarin, when a noun is used alone without a counter (numerary
adjunct, whatever you call them), it usually has a generic meaning.
E.g.:
_yi1ge ren_ - one person;
_ren_ - people, humankind.
_yi1 zhi ma3 you3 yi1 tiao2 wei3ba1_ - one horse (i.e., one in
particular) has one tail.
_ma3 you3 yi1 tiao2 wei3ba1_ - horses (in general) have one tail.
P.S. I'm writing phonetically, so please excuse any transcription
mistakes.
T
--
He who does not appreciate the beauty of language is not worthy to bemoan its
flaws.
Messages in this topic (3)
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