Mass-Count Distinction and the Russian Singulative Suffix -in-

Authors

  • Ljudmila Geist University of Stuttgart image/svg+xml
  • Olga Kagan Department of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
  • David Erschler Department of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Keywords:

countability, number, structure of noun phrase, mass-count distinction, singulative

Abstract

The paper addresses the morphosyntax and semantics of the Russian singulative -in-. This suffix attaches to a mass noun denoting an aggregate to derive a count noun naming the natural unit that the aggregate consists of (gorox ‘peas’ vs. goroš-in-a ‘pea’). We propose that -in- realizes two functional heads bundled together – the categorizing n0 and a higher head Div0 that has a unit-making function and is responsible for the derivation of a count noun. Semantically, -in- functions as a mass-to-count operator that applies to aggregates and yields atomic predicates, by triggering division into natural units.

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Published

2023-12-24

How to Cite

Geist, L., O. Kagan, and D. Erschler. “Mass-Count Distinction and the Russian Singulative Suffix -in-”. Journal of Slavic Linguistics, vol. 31, no. FASL 30 issue, Dec. 2023, pp. 1-17, https://ojs.ung.si/index.php/JSL/article/view/172.

Issue

Section

FASL proceedings 2021