14 Number in Japonic Family
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Michinori Shimoji
Abstract
This chapter gives an overview of the number systems of the Japonic language family, examining Standard Japanese (SJ), Japanese mainland dialects and Ryukyuan languages. For the latter two, our focus will be on the Shiiba dialect of Kyushu and on the Irabu dialect of Miyako Ryukyuan, drawing on the field data collected by the present author. Generally speaking, Japonic language varieties exhibit common features such as (a) the number marking system sensitive to animacy, (b) the relevance of the category ‘address noun’, a class of lexical nouns which can be used as terms of address, including proper names and elder kin terms, and (c) the system of classifiers according to which referents are counted. On the other hand, Japonic language varieties vary with respect to, for example, the presence or absence of clusivity distinction (which is only found in Ryukyuan), and the interplay between plural marking and individuation (e.g. definiteness); while pluralization in SJ is limited to the individuated (definite) nouns, this is not the case in Shiiba.
Abstract
This chapter gives an overview of the number systems of the Japonic language family, examining Standard Japanese (SJ), Japanese mainland dialects and Ryukyuan languages. For the latter two, our focus will be on the Shiiba dialect of Kyushu and on the Irabu dialect of Miyako Ryukyuan, drawing on the field data collected by the present author. Generally speaking, Japonic language varieties exhibit common features such as (a) the number marking system sensitive to animacy, (b) the relevance of the category ‘address noun’, a class of lexical nouns which can be used as terms of address, including proper names and elder kin terms, and (c) the system of classifiers according to which referents are counted. On the other hand, Japonic language varieties vary with respect to, for example, the presence or absence of clusivity distinction (which is only found in Ryukyuan), and the interplay between plural marking and individuation (e.g. definiteness); while pluralization in SJ is limited to the individuated (definite) nouns, this is not the case in Shiiba.
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
