6. Definition of the noun

The Noun may be defined as a part of speech characterized by following features:

• the generalised (lexico-grammatical) meaning of thingness or substance.

• by the grammatical categories (number and case).

• the typical stem-building morphemes (lexico-grammatical, derivational). (Ex. –ship, -dom, -er, -ist, -hood, -th, -ate, -tion).

• left-hand connections (left-hand valence) with articles, adj., possessive pronouns, numerals, prepositions, other nouns.

• right-hand connection is a verb.

• the functions in the sentence: a subject, object, predicative, adverbial modifier.

7. Classes of nouns

Since the noun is the most numerous lexico-grammatical class of lexemes it is divided into a number of groups based on grammatical and semantic considerations.

• The nouns may be countable or uncountable. Basing on the category of case nouns may be declinable and non-declinable (indeclinable and indeclinables).

• According to semantics the nouns may be divided into abstract and concrete. (Ex. friendshipfriend)

• Another group => collective nouns; it is not homogenous because some of the collective nouns ate countables (family – families), while others are not. (They belong either to sg. or pl. form).

Ex. foliage( only sg.); aristocracy (sg.); the military (sg. and pl.); the clergy (pl.); the gentry (pl.)

• class nouns (with countable nouns)

• animate and inanimate (we single out these groups in class nouns)

• material nouns (denote different substances). They coincide with uncountable nouns.

• proper nouns. They coincide with uncountables. (common nouns)

8. The category of number. The system of opposemes of the category

In English there is a system of 2-member (binary) oppositions such as “person vs. persons, tooth vs. teeth, etc. the number opposemes consist opposites identical in content. The first opposite presents the sg. form, the second – the plural form. Both these forms are united by the category of number.

English nouns may have 2-number oppositions at most: cat vs. cats, cat’s vs. cats’.

Some nouns have only one opposition: tooth vs. teeth (no case).

And still other nouns don’t have number oppositions at all: ex. news, contents (pl.), ink (sg.), etc.

9. Singularia tantum and Pluralia tantum

The two subclasses of uncountable nouns are usually referred to, respectively, as singularia tantum (only singular) and pluralia tantum (only plural). In terms of oppositions we may say that in the formation of the two subclasses of uncountable nouns the number opposition is "constantly" (lexically) reduced either to the weak member (singularia tantum) or to the strong member (pluralia tantum).

Since the grammatical form of the uncountable nouns of the singularia tantum subclass is not excluded from the category of number, it stands to reason to speak of it as the "absolute" singular, as different from the "correlative" or "common" singular of the countable nouns. The absolute singular excludes the use of the modifying numeral one, as well as the indefinite article.

The absolute singular is characteristic of the names of abstract notions {peace, love, joy, courage, friendship, etc.), the names of the branches of professional activity {chemistry, architecture, mathematics, linguistics, etc.), the names of mass-materials {water, snow, steel, hair, etc.), the names of collective inanimate objects {foliage, fruit, furniture, machinery, etc.).

Among the PT are the nouns: trousers, scissors, etc. The direct opposition of PT is ST. Among this, we must note some nouns denoting material substance, milk, butter and names of abstract notions-peace, usefulness with these nouns the predicate verb is always singular.

There exist exceptions, these nouns may have a plural form, for ex. wine-wines (to denote several special kinds of wine), beauty-beauties (of nature) when we mean the objects exhibiting this quality ex; iron-irons.