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Article published In:
Functions of Language
Vol. 30:3 (2023) ► pp.287–319

Definite-like meaning of bare classifiers in Nung

ORCID logo | University of Edinburgh

Nung (Tai, Kra-Dai) is a numeral-classifier language that contains the Classifier-Noun (cl-n, or ‘bare classifier’) construction. Drawing on Langacker’s Cognitive Grammar (Langacker 1987, 2004, 2008, 2017) (CG), I argue that the use of a Nung cl-n phrase is only possible when it refers to a unique instance in the current discourse frame of the current discourse space. This explains why cl-n phrases show a definite-like meaning contrast with other types of nominal phrases (NPs) in Nung, as well as why Nung cl-n phrases can be interpreted as either specific or non-specific indefinite. This paper makes two theoretical contributions. Firstly, it shows that the existing theory of numeral classifiers within CG, which is based on the unitization function of numeral classifiers, is not sufficient to account for the meaning contrast between cl-n and other types of NP in Nung. Secondly, given that a referent that exists in the current discourse frame need not exist in the actual world or pre-exist in the discourse, this paper illustrates how a referent can satisfy a presupposition of uniqueness without satisfying a presupposition of existence in the actual world or in the discourse.

Keywords: Kra-Dai, numeral classifier, bare classifier, Cognitive Grammar, definiteness, nominal grounding
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1Method of data collection
    • 2.2Classifiers in Nung
    • 2.3Theories of nominal reference within CG
      • 2.3.1Types and instance
      • 2.3.2Grounding
      • 2.3.3Current Discourse Space (CDS)
  • 3.Theory of classifiers within CG
  • 4.Meanings of nominal reference proposed for numeral classifiers
  • 5.Meaning of Nung cl-n phrases
    • 5.1Definite cl-n phrases
      • 5.1.1Familiar definiteness
      • 5.1.2Unique definiteness
      • 5.1.3Analysis of familiar cl-n phrases based on CG
    • 5.2Non-familiar cl-n phrases
    • 5.3Bare count nouns and cl-n phrases
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • List of abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 18 December 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/fol.22042.lam
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