Numerical characteristic of collective nouns in the Erzya language
English
journal number:
Journal’s Subject Headings:
Philology
About author:
National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University, Saransk, Russian Federation, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the number category of collective nouns in the Erzya language has not been a subject of special studies. The relevance of the study is caused by the uncertainty of number forms of this noun class.
Objective: to consider the potentialities of collective nouns in terms of building of the singular and plural forms.
Research materials: the works by the Erzya writers K. Abramov, M. Bryzhinsky, A. Doronin, P. Klyuchagin and lexicographic materials. The descriptive, historical and component analysis methods were used.
Results and novelty of the research: the noun classes with an irregular number category have always drawn the interest of linguists. These are primarily nouns with abstract and material semantics. Another group of nouns with an irregular number category is collective nouns. The lack of morphological consistency in the numerical forms of collective nouns is a specificity of Erzya grammar. Some collective nouns can have only the singular form; others have both the singular and the plural forms. But unlike the plural of count nouns, the plural of collective nouns denotes a lot of the same objects as a set. The analysis showed that, in most cases, collective nouns can be used both in the singular and plural forms. The nouns with the lexical meaning of a set of the same objects form the plural. Collective nouns, the plural of which is formed through affixes, are not always transparent in this regard.
The scientific novelty of the study is in the fact that for the first time the possibilities for the formation of number forms of different semantic groups of collective nouns in the Erzya language are considered.
Key words: Erzya language, collectiveness, noun, the plural, the singular.
For citation: Klementyeva E. F. Numerical characteristic of collective nouns in the Erzya language // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2020; 10 (2): 254–261.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the number category of collective nouns in the Erzya language has not been a subject of special studies. The relevance of the study is caused by the uncertainty of number forms of this noun class.
Objective: to consider the potentialities of collective nouns in terms of building of the singular and plural forms.
Research materials: the works by the Erzya writers K. Abramov, M. Bryzhinsky, A. Doronin, P. Klyuchagin and lexicographic materials. The descriptive, historical and component analysis methods were used.
Results and novelty of the research: the noun classes with an irregular number category have always drawn the interest of linguists. These are primarily nouns with abstract and material semantics. Another group of nouns with an irregular number category is collective nouns. The lack of morphological consistency in the numerical forms of collective nouns is a specificity of Erzya grammar. Some collective nouns can have only the singular form; others have both the singular and the plural forms. But unlike the plural of count nouns, the plural of collective nouns denotes a lot of the same objects as a set. The analysis showed that, in most cases, collective nouns can be used both in the singular and plural forms. The nouns with the lexical meaning of a set of the same objects form the plural. Collective nouns, the plural of which is formed through affixes, are not always transparent in this regard.
The scientific novelty of the study is in the fact that for the first time the possibilities for the formation of number forms of different semantic groups of collective nouns in the Erzya language are considered.
Key words: Erzya language, collectiveness, noun, the plural, the singular.
For citation: Klementyeva E. F. Numerical characteristic of collective nouns in the Erzya language // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2020; 10 (2): 254–261.
