Re: THEORY: Number and animacy

Hi!

Benct Philip Jonsson writes:
> Does anyone know of a natlang which distinguishes
> number for animate, but not for inanimate nouns?
>...
Mandarin Chinese, I think.  '-men', the plural marker, is only applied
to animate nouns, maybe even only to nouns denoting humans, I forgot.
Also I think plural is only used in subject position.  E.g.

  Wo3 gen3 peng2you3-men qu4 kan4 dian4ying3.
  I   with friend-s      go  see  film.
  'I go watch a film with my friends.'

  Wo3 qu4 kan4 peng2you3.
  I   go  see  friend
  'I visit my friend(s).'

Pronouns use the '-men' suffix more often and also in object position,
I think.  I don't know whether pronouns referring to non-animates
behave differently from those referring to animates.


Maybe also Japanese?  I don't know Japanese very well, but I think it
only has plural forms for animate nouns (and these, I think, are
irregular without a generic plural form, in contrast to Mandarin).

**Henrik

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