
Number
Greville G. Corbett(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 7. December 2000
Book
Hardback
380 pages
978-0-521-64016-9 (ISBN)
Description
Number is the most underestimated of the grammatical categories. It is deceptively simple yet the number system which philosophers, logicians and many linguists take as the norm - namely the distinction between singular and plural (as in cat versus cats) - is only one of a wide range of possibilities to be found in languages around the world. Some languages, for instance, make more distinctions than English, having three, four or even five different values. Adopting a wide-ranging perspective, Greville Corbett draws on examples from many languages to analyse the possible systems of number. He reveals that the means for signalling number are remarkably varied and are put to a surprising range of special additional uses. By surveying some of the riches of the world's linguistic resources this book, first published in 2000, makes a major contribution to the typology of categories and demonstrates that languages are much more varied than is generally recognised.
Reviews / Votes
'Number is an area of morphosyntactic typology that has often been taken for granted by linguistic researchers. In this comprehensive typological survey, Corbett convincingly shows that the complexity and diversity of number systems in the languages of the world far surpasses what is commonly assumed.' Thomas E. Payne, The LinguistMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Illustrations
92 Tables, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
700 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-64016-9 (9780521640169)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Greville G. Corbett
Number
E-Book
01/2005
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€48.99
Available for download
Person
Content
Introduction; 1. Introduction; 2. Meaning distinctions; 3. Items involved in the Nominal Number System; 4. Integrating number values and the Animacy Hierarchy; 5. The expression of number; 6. The syntax of number; 7. Other uses of number; 8. Verbal number; 9. Conclusion and new challenges.