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:

{{#tree:id=tagset|openlevels=0|root=Number (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 should be used when there is no particular information on the quantity of the reference.

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 to be represented by attributes, if marked. The number attribute values are the following:

{{#tree:id=number|openlevels=0|root=Number|

• @singular (default)
• @pl (@plural)
  • @dual
  • @trial
  • @quadrual
  • @paucal
  • @multal

}}

@singular is the default number value and may be omitted.

book = book (or book.@singular)

number, when lexicalized, should be omitted as well.

glasses = glasses (and not glasses.@pl)

Examples

@singular

book = book or book.@singular

@pl

books = book.@pl

children = child.@pl

livres = livre.@pl

@paucal

a few books = book.@paucal

some books = book.@paucal

@multal

many books = book.@multal

several books = book.@multal