The first stage of numeral classification in the Chinese language

L.L. Bankova

Linguistics University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, 603155 Russia

E-mail: lwittsa@yandex.ru

Received August 5, 2019

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DOI: 10.26907/2541-7738.2019.5-6.79-88

For citation: Bankova L.L. The first stage of numeral classification in the Chinese language. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Gumanitarnye Nauki, 2019, vol. 161, no. 5–6, pp. 79–88. doi: 10.26907/2541-7738.2019.5-6.79-88. (In Russian)

Abstract

The study of Chinese numerals prompts the need to classify them. The following major challenges are commonly faced during this step: confusion of classifying bases; considering Chinese numerals through the prism of numeral classifications for other types of languages; having no clear definition of a numeral.

In view of the above, this paper provides the author's vision of numerals as a class of words performing the quantitative function and denoting abstract numbers, a number of objects, or mental categories related to number, order of count, multiplicity, and summation. The paper focuses on the first stage of classifying the Chinese numeral, thereby laying a foundation for further research. Researchers fail to agree which numerals – quantitative, ordinal, multiple, approximate, or interrogative – should be considered as the basic ones and which ones should be marked as belonging to the secondary level of classification.

As a result of the critical analysis of all the possible variations, starting with two-positional classifications and ending with multi-positional ones, the conclusion was made that at the first stage of analysis of Chinese numerals it is reasonable to divide them into quantitative and ordinal.

Keywords: Chinese language, numeral, problems of studying numerals, definition of numerals, classification of numerals

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