Mass-Count Distinction and the Russian Singulative Suffix -in-

Ljudmila Geist, Olga Kagan, David Erschler

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Abstract

The paper addresses the morphosyntax and semantics of the Russian singulative -in-. This suffix attaches to a mass noun denoting an aggregate to derive a count noun naming the natural unit that the aggregate consists of (gorox ‘peas’ vs. goroš-in-a ‘pea’). We propose that -in- realizes two functional heads bundled together – the categorizing n0 and a higher head Div0 that has a unit-making function and is responsible for the derivation of a count noun. Semantically, -in- functions as a mass-to-count operator that applies to aggregates and yields atomic predicates, by triggering division into natural units.
Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)1-17
JournalJournal of Slavic Linguistics
Volume31
Issue numberFASL 30 issue
StatePublished - 24 Dec 2023

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