6 Number in Occitan
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Xavier Bach
Abstract
The marking of number in Occitan varies enormously according to dialect: most of western varieties mark it segmentally, while other use a mixture of vowel raising, stress shift and vowel length. A number of varieties also present asymmetries in the marking of number within the NP. Suppletion is only attested for number for 1SG and 2SG pronouns. There is no verbal number but subject (and sometimes object) number agreement on verbs. The second person plural of the verb is used for politeness address, but other agreement targets remain in the singular when referring to only one person. Some varieties present a restricted form of dual marking (elsewhere marked with a classifier) for items conceived as appearing in pairs. A number of lexical plurals can be recognised. One word, monde ‘people’, is used in the singular but triggers plural semantic agreement.
Abstract
The marking of number in Occitan varies enormously according to dialect: most of western varieties mark it segmentally, while other use a mixture of vowel raising, stress shift and vowel length. A number of varieties also present asymmetries in the marking of number within the NP. Suppletion is only attested for number for 1SG and 2SG pronouns. There is no verbal number but subject (and sometimes object) number agreement on verbs. The second person plural of the verb is used for politeness address, but other agreement targets remain in the singular when referring to only one person. Some varieties present a restricted form of dual marking (elsewhere marked with a classifier) for items conceived as appearing in pairs. A number of lexical plurals can be recognised. One word, monde ‘people’, is used in the singular but triggers plural semantic agreement.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Contents v
- List of authors ix
- 1 Number in the World’s Languages: Configuring the variation space 1
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I Africa
- 2 Number in Eastern Dan 27
- 3 Number marking in Karko and Nilo-Saharan 63
- 4 Number in Tswana 107
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II Europe and Middle East
- 5 Number in Arabic 131
- 6 Number in Occitan 167
- 7 Number in Slovenian 187
- 8 Number in West Circassian 261
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III Northern Eurasia
- 9 Number in Ket (Yeniseian) 307
- 10 Number in Nganasan 351
- 11 Number in Nivkh 375
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IV Pacific and Australia
- 12 Number in Gooniyandi 427
- 13 Number in Indonesian 457
- 14 Number in Japonic Family 505
- 15 Number in the Languages of the Lower Sepik Family 529
- 16 Number in Marori 577
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V Americas
- 17 Number in the languages of South America 609
- 18 The category of number in Kakataibo (Panoan) 671
- 19 Grammatical simplexity: Number in Kiowa 693
- 20 Number in Mohawk (Iroquoian) 729
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VI Further perspectives on linguistic diversity
- 21 Contact languages: A survey 767
- 22 Number in Russian Sign Language 805
- 23 Number in grammar: results and perspectives 833
- Terms 911
- Languages and language families 917
- Authors 927
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Contents v
- List of authors ix
- 1 Number in the World’s Languages: Configuring the variation space 1
-
I Africa
- 2 Number in Eastern Dan 27
- 3 Number marking in Karko and Nilo-Saharan 63
- 4 Number in Tswana 107
-
II Europe and Middle East
- 5 Number in Arabic 131
- 6 Number in Occitan 167
- 7 Number in Slovenian 187
- 8 Number in West Circassian 261
-
III Northern Eurasia
- 9 Number in Ket (Yeniseian) 307
- 10 Number in Nganasan 351
- 11 Number in Nivkh 375
-
IV Pacific and Australia
- 12 Number in Gooniyandi 427
- 13 Number in Indonesian 457
- 14 Number in Japonic Family 505
- 15 Number in the Languages of the Lower Sepik Family 529
- 16 Number in Marori 577
-
V Americas
- 17 Number in the languages of South America 609
- 18 The category of number in Kakataibo (Panoan) 671
- 19 Grammatical simplexity: Number in Kiowa 693
- 20 Number in Mohawk (Iroquoian) 729
-
VI Further perspectives on linguistic diversity
- 21 Contact languages: A survey 767
- 22 Number in Russian Sign Language 805
- 23 Number in grammar: results and perspectives 833
- Terms 911
- Languages and language families 917
- Authors 927
