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 language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-17 |
Journal | Journal of Slavic Linguistics |
Volume | 31 |
Issue number | FASL 30 issue |
State | Published - 24 Dec 2023 |