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Studies in Lexicogrammar: Theory and applications
Edited by Grzegorz Drożdż
[Human Cognitive Processing 54] 2016
► pp. 95–120

From the meaning of the concrete noun to its grammatical property and back

The property of countability and uncountability is one of important characteristics of English nouns. At the same time, it is an issue of considerable controversy. On the one hand, Huddleston and Pullum (2002: 334) maintain that many nouns can be used with count and mass interpretations. On the other hand, Langacker (2008: 142) claims that probably all nouns can be used as countable and uncountable. The chapter explores this issue. Its aim is to suggest a methodology that checks Langacker’s claim. In order to do so, we take the CG stance and trace sense extensions of five concrete nouns classified by dictionaries as solely countable. The chapter indicates also certain regularities in this kind of sense extensions.

Keywords: Cognitive Grammar, countable and uncountable nouns, extension of meaning
Published online: 4 August 2016
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/hcp.54.05dro
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Cited by

Cited by 1 other publications

Drożdż, Grzegorz
2022. Metonymic patterns of count-to-mass and mass-to-count changes and their implications for metonymy research. In Figurativity and Human Ecology [Figurative Thought and Language, 17], ► pp. 251 ff. DOI logo

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