Singular Number ( Concept )
http://purl.org/linguistics/gold/SingularNumber
Thing
|_ Abstract
|_ Linguistic Property
|_ Morphosyntactic Property
|_ Number Property
|_ Singular Number
Definition:
[undefined]
submit an example
Examples
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| I doubt that he is learning. |
Language Code:
sht
Volitive mode encodes that the speaker is willing to perform some action.
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| I'll talk |
References:
Mithun (1999:499)
Language Code:
spa
There is no progressive marker in this Spanish example.
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| John sings. |
References:
Comrie (1976:33)
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| He saw me when he was a small child. |
Language Code:
ltn
Palmer notes that the Timitive Mood tends to be expressed with a verb of fearing plus a subjunctive verb in a subordinate clause.
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| I am afraid that I shall increase my work |
References:
Palmer (2001:133)
Language Code:
tue
In Tuyuca, the assumptive mood signals an assumption with no evidence.
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| He played soccer (I assume, but I have seen no evidence of this) |
References:
Palmer (2001:36) FROM Barnes (1984) FROM Malone (1988)
Language Code:
ami
This example demonstrates epistemic necessity, also known as necessary truth or presupposed truth, in that this statement presupposes that the pig will run out.
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| They will kill the pig as it runs out |
References:
Palmer (2001:5) FROM Roberts (1990)
Language Code:
ami
Realis encodes that the speaker is offering and unqualified statement of fact. The term 'realis' is synonymous with the term 'indicative' and therefore 'declarative.'
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| They killed the pig as it ran out. |
References:
Palmer (2001:5) FROM Roberts (1990)
Language Code:
ygr
These examples illustrate a reportedly binary, future/non-future tense system. Interlinear glosses are constructed here based on Haiman's discussion of verb stem alternations and their structures. Haiman reports that in Hua, Non-future tense is indicated by the lack of an auxiliary. Future tense is expressed with a variety of auxiliaries. The first example illustrates the Simple Indicative Future.
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| I will do. |
References:
Haiman (1980:47, 140-1)
Language Code:
ygr
These examples illustrate a reportedly binary, future/non-future tense system. Interlinear glosses are constructed here based on Haiman's discussion of verb stem alternations and their structures. Haiman reports that in Hua, Non-future tense is indicated by the lack of an auxiliary. This example is a Non-future tense with Interrogative Mood.
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| Did I do? |
References:
Haiman (1980:47, 140-1)
Language Code:
tix
In Southern Tiwa, the locative passive is an oblique locative nominal that assumes the subject relation.
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| The man came to me |
References:
Klaiman (1991:17) FROM Allen, Gardiner and Frantz (1984:304-5)
Language Code:
hrv
A Passive construction in Croatian which contains reflexive markings.
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| The house was built in two months (by people)/They built the house in two months. |
References:
Siewierska (1988:259) FROM Spalatin (1973:121)
Language Code:
kek
In Q'eqchi', the focus antipassive locks the P or logical object (basic absolutive) nominal from being assigned Focus salience. Topic salience is available for assignment to various arguments, including the P, but Focus salience is always assigned to A, and is therefore inaccessible to P or any other nominal.
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| The money, I was the one who gave it to you. |
References:
Klaiman (1991:236) FROM Berinstein (1985:236)
Language Code:
grc
A typical function of the middle in Greek is to indicate an identity relation between the subject (or more properly, the source argument) and the direct object (or more properly, the undergoer). That is, a middle voice verb may convey reflexive or reciprocal activity.
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| I wash myself |
References:
Klaiman (1998:32)
Language Code:
bsw
Paucal also known as 'lesser paucal' or 'small paucal' number refers to a few members of a specific class.
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| I watched a few lions |
References:
Corbett(2000:11)
Language Code:
mam
In Northern Mam, the logical nonsubject takes on properties typical of the basic object.
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| The tree was cut by José. |
References:
Klaiman (1991:229) FROM England (1985:201)
Language Code:
djd
A dual morpheme refers to exactly two.
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| Who do you two want to spear? |
References:
Schultze-Berndt (2000:92)
Language Code:
ike
Bybee, et al indicate that Inuit manifests a 2-way past distinction that makes no reference to daily cycles. The two subdivisions they reference are given in the second and third examples. The first example, with the affix glossed as PERF, illustrates a past that Fortescue claims is often understood as a general experiential past without any specified time. This might be analyzed as a Simple Past.
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| I ate recently. |
References:
Bybee, Perkins, and Pagliuca (1994:99) FROM Fortescue (1984:272-3)
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| a new taxi |
Language Code:
bla
Blackfoot example of plural number and animate gender.
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| man |
References:
Mithun (1999:99) FROM Frantz (1991:8-9)
Language Code:
sht
This is an example of the hortative in Shastan.
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| Let me talk! |
References:
Mithin (1999:499) FROM Silver (1966)
Language Code:
ike
NO_COMMENT
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| He died long ago. |
References:
Bybee, Perkins, and Pagliuca (1994:99) FROM Fortescue (1984:272-3)
Language Code:
cdm
In Chepang, a simple Future may be expressed by suffixing /-ceʔ/ to the main verb.
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| I will/may call you |
References:
Bybee, Perkins, and Pagliuca (1994:245-246) FROM Caughley (1982)
Language Code:
cdm
This Chepang example illustrates the use of the suffix /dhaŋ-/, in combination with tense/aspect suffixes. With the immediate future, Caughley says that the action 'is about to begin'.
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| I am about to look/I will look now. |
References:
Bybee, Perkins, and Pagliuca (1994:245-246) FROM Caughley (1982)
Language Code:
spn
The first example above, illustrating Indicative mood, may be compared with the second, which illustrates Subjunctive mood. Here, the subjunctive is used to express doubt about a proposition.
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| I believe that he is learning. |
References:
Palmer (2001:5) FROM Klein (1975)
Language Code:
tur
In Turkish, the nominative is zero-marked. Also, in this language nonspecific objects do not take the accusative case.
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| Hasan bought the ox. |
References:
Blake (2001:87, 119) FROM Comrie (1989:132-6, 175-6)
Language Code:
hun
Here the suffix marked as PART is the same suffix used to mark the Ablative case in Hungarian.
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| S/he ate some of the pastry. |
References:
Moravcsik (1978:261)
Language Code:
tue
In Tuyuca, the deductive mood signals an assumption with evidence.
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| He played soccer (I have seen evidence that he played, but I did not see him play) |
References:
Palmer (2001:36) FROM Barnes (1984) FROM Malone (1988)
Language Code:
bla
Blackfoot example of inanimate gender.
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| lake |
References:
Mithun (1999:99) FROM Frantz (1991:8-9)
Language Code:
bsw
General number refers to a noun without reference to a number; it is outside the number system.
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| I watched lion. |
References:
Corbett(2000:11)
Language Code:
arc
Singular number is number that refers to one member of a designated class (Crystal 1980: 245)
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| inside the apple |
References:
Kibrik (1998:470-1)
Language Code:
pol
An intransitive verb in Polish is derived from a basically transitive one with the direct object of the transitive verb corresponding to the subject of the intransitive.
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| The train stopped. |
References:
Siewierska (1988:267) in Shibatani (1988)
Language Code:
mam
In Northern Mam, the transitive subject takes on properties typical of the basic object. Since in an ergative language the same morphological behaviors accrue to transitive object (P) as to intransitive subject (A), one effect of antipassivization is to dissociate the transitive subject (A) from its usual case assignment, the ergative, and reassign it the absolutive.
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| José grabbed the bird. |
References:
Klaiman (1991:229) FROM England (1985:212)
Language Code:
ixi
In Nebaj Ixil, the personal passive is a passive in which the argument mapped to Object in a basic structural configuration assumes the Subject relation in a corresponding nonbasic configuration.
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| He was seen by her. |
References:
Klaiman (1991:244) FROM Ayres (1983:22)
Language Code:
tur
In Turkish, the nominative is zero-marked. Also, in this language nonspecific objects do not take the accusative case.
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| Hasan bought the ox |
References:
Blake (2001:87, 119) FROM Comrie (1989:132-6, 175-6)
| Properties | Values | Definition |
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User Submitted Issues
On terminology: the term 'singulative' is sometimes used for the concept singularNumber, especially when singularNumber is overtly expressed. 'Singulative' has been used sometimes for singularNumber in systems where singularNumber is distinct from to generalNumber. It is worth bearing in mind that the expression of number can differ cross-linguistically according to the animacy hierarchy. See numberAssignmentSystem. A note on minimal/augmented systems (and also minimal/unit-augmented/augmented). In some languages which have an inclusive/exclusive distinction in the first person, the firstPersonInclusive may use the morphology which otherwise expresses singularNumber, even though the semantics of firstPersonInclusive entail that it cannot be singular. There is an analysis of this in which the morphology is seen as representing the minimal number associated with the particular person value. Under such a system, the label 'minimal' can be mapped onto the concept singularNumber, except if one is dealing with firstPersonInclusive minimal, which would be mapped onto the concept dualNumber [Corbett 2000, 166-169] (incomplete). There is an important theoretical question about whether minimal/unit-augmented/augmented should be considered separate concepts in the GOLD ontology. The main argument for this is that under such systems, the number values dual and trial are expressed only on the firstPersonInclusive by using the morphology otherwise associated with singular and dual respectively. However, as it is possible to specify a mapping from one system onto the other, we allow for a COPE to deal with this substantive issue while ensuring interoperability.