Number

Number is a category that typically corresponds to the actual quantity of the referents of a given noun.

Natural Language

In natural languages, number may be realised by grammatical affixes (such as "s" for plural, in English) or by quantifiers (such as "a couple of", "many", etc).
In the UNLarium framework, the grammatical category of number may assume the following values:

• NUM
  • singular (SNG): one of a class
  • singulare tantum (SNGT): used only in singular
  • plural (PLR): more than one of a class
    • dual (DUA): two of a class
    • trial (TRI): three of a class
    • quadrual (QDR): four of a class
    • paucal (PAU): few of a class
    • multal (MUL): many of a class
    • plurale tantum (PLRT): used only in plural
  • Invariant (INV): a single form used both in singular and plural

The plural (PLR) subsumes more specific number values and must be used when there is no particular information on the quantity of the reference.

books = PLR

pants = PLR

glasses = PLR

Examples

• singular (SNG): book, city, kiss
• singulare tantum (SNGT): furniture
• plural (PLR): books, cities, kisses
• plurale tantum (PLRT): clothes, measles
• invariant (INV): series, species

UNL

In UNL, number is represented by quantifying attributes.