Nominals and number neutrality in languages

Abstract

This overview article is concerned with number neutrality of Noun Phrases (NPs henceforth) across languages. Number is one of the fundamental grammatical categories, being found in both the nominal and the verbal domains. Although the specification of NPs do not typically occur in the preverbal position in many Romance languages. GÖRGÜLÜ 13 of 17 3 The abbreviations used in the glosses: 1 = first person marker; 3 = third person; AUX = auxiliary; CLF = classifier; ERG = ergative; EXCL = exclusive; FUT = future; GEN = genitive; IMP = imperfect; IND = indefinite article; MASC = masculine gender; NOM = nominative case; NEG = negation; NEUT = neutral gender; PAST = past tense; PERF = perfect; PL = plural marker; PRS = present; POSS = possessive; Q = question particle; REFL = reflexive; SG = singular; SP = Subject Participle; TRIAL = trial marker 4 Number neutrality is referred to as "general number" in various studies. Following Corbett (2000), Acquaviva (2017) defines the term "not as a form that happens to be underspecified for number value but as an underspecified interpretation." He goes on to say that general number is sometimes used to refer to forms that do not express a value for number as well.

Weak definite nominals

“…As for (27a), the bare noun cancha ('field') yields a weak definite reading, but the bare plural canchas ('fields') (27b) is ill-formed. This type of data, plus the lack of reference to unique individuals, has led some authors to assume that WDNs are number neutral (see Görgülü, 2018 for an explanation of number neutrality and an overview of this category across languages). For example, Williams (2019) and Oggiani (2020a, 2020b), associate number neutrality with the absence of NumP projection in WDNs.…”

Impersonals, passives, and impersonal pronouns: Lessons from Lithuanian

“…To capture this behavior, I suggest that the pronoun is number neutral, as Hall 2019 proposes for impersonal pronouns. 53 Number-neutral expressions denote one or more entities and thus can have either a singular or plural interpretation (Sauerland 2003, Sauerland et al 2005, Zweig 2009, Pereltsvaig 2013, Görgülü 2018). neutral expressions are not specified for a number feature and therefore lack Num(ber)P, which hosts this feature; see, for example, Pereltsvaig 2013.…”

“…Number‐neutral expressions denote one or more entities and thus can have either a singular or plural interpretation (Sauerland 2003, Sauerland et al. 2005, Zweig 2009, Pereltsvaig 2013, Görgülü 2018).…”

“…Number-neutral expressions are sometimes called inclusive plurals; see, for example,Sauerland 2003, Sauerland et al 2005. The two notions are often used interchangeably in the literature; see, for example,Pereltsvaig 2013, Görgülü 2018…”