N. P. Ogarev's Mordovia State University, Saransk, Russian Federation, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the functional-semantic category of number is one of the most ambiguous categories. There are words whose singular and plural forms are not related to the real meaning of singularity and plurality. Therefore, this category is of interest to modern researchers.
Objective: to consider the semantic and grammatical features of the category of number in the Erzya language; identify the meanings transmitted by the singular and plural forms of noun.
Research materials: works by Erzyan writers K. Abramov, A. Arapov, M. Bryzhinsky, N. Vidyaz, A. Doronin, A. Kutorkin, A. Moro.
Results and novelty of the research: in linguistics, the category of number is traditionally based on the opposition of the singular and plural, i.e. it expresses the opposition of one object to a particular set of the same objects. In this case, the category of number has inflection functions. However, the capabilities of this category are much wider and more diverse; it can deliver many other meanings. In accordance with the semantic changes, a paradigm of the meanings of this category has been developed. The analysis shows that the singular form of nouns can characterize a single object from a series of similar ones, a whole class of objects through its part, and some objects as a set. The plural form expresses plurality in various aspects. The disjunctive set of objects is the main semantic feature of this category. In addition, this form can deliver the meaning of a collective multiplicity and polynuclearity. The novelty of the study consists in that the authors made an attempt to consider all the meanings expressed by the singular and plural forms in the Erzya language and to represent the semantic aspects of this category more clearly.
Key words: the Erzya language, category of number, semantics, inflection, word formation, singularity, plurality.
For citation: Klementyeva E. F. Inflectional and word-formation functions of the category of number in the Erzya language // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2019; 9 (4): 643–652.