Re: Greenberg's Word Order Universals

Robert Hailman wrote:

> My hunch is to assume it means that the unmarked form of a noun is never
> the plural [...]
It also means that there is always some way to mark the plural, if only
in the pronouns (as in Mandarin).  Some languages have a mark for the
singular, some don't.  Languages with dual (exactly two) and trial
(exactly three) numbers almost always have marks for them.

...where "mark" means suffix, or prefix, or change of vowels, or suppletion,
or what have you.

--
There is / one art                   || John Cowan <jcowan@...>
no more / no less                    || http://www.reutershealth.com
to do / all things                   || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
with art- / lessness                 \\ -- Piet Hein