Re: Number/Specificality/Archetypes in Language
| From: | Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...> |
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| Date: | Tuesday, September 28, 2004, 20:05 |
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TRW> Okay, so then how do you account for the count/mass noun distinction,
TRW> or pluralia tanta?
JWC> (BTW, "pluralia tantum" is not inflectable.)
Sure it is. Thomas just did it, so clearly it can be done. :)
JWC> It's also not clear what to do about "news" other than to treat it as
JWC> a lexical exception. It has a historical plural, it looks like pluralia
JWC> tantum, but it takes singular agreement.
Er? The word "news" has a historical plural? "newses"?
I thought "news" *was* historically plural . . .
-Marcos
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