4.3 Quantifiers

Arguments 187

plural: {lj,hs[ wtks[ ;fkrb[ rfrb[-yb,elm} gznyflwfnm ktn ‘{a goodly a whole measly some or another} fifteen years’, only rarely in the nom=acc form: wtkst gznm ktn (on the web, only 177 xx wtkst gznm vs. 11,600 xx wtks[ gznm <15.IX.02>).

General numerals are insensitive to animacy. When the noun is animate and the phrase is accusative, a general numeral is expressed in the nom=acc form, not the genitive ([67--68]). An external modifier does express animacy (but …nb now occurs in the informal register):

[67]Pfk Ljvf rbyj dcnhtxfk эnb[<acc=gen> ldflwfnm<nom=acc> ( ldflwfnb<acc=gen> ) ht,zn fgkjlbcvtynfvb.

The House of Film greeted those twenty lads with applause.

[68]Dkflbvbh jrhtcnbk dct[<acc=gen> ldtyflwfnm<nom=acc> ( ldtyflwfnb<acc=gen> ) csyjdtq cdjb[.

Vladimir baptized all twelve of his sons.

4.3.3 Paucal numerals

The pa u c a l numerals -- msc=nt ldƒ fem ld† ‘two’ (with an unusual distinction of gender), nh∫ ‘three’, xtnßht ‘four’, and msc=nt j´,f fem j´,t ‘both’ -- behave like general numerals in oblique cases: the noun, modifiers, and the numeral are in the oblique case (instrumental in [69], dative in [70]); the quantified noun and any modifiers are plural.

[69]Fylhtq gjpyfrjvbk vtyz c ntvb<ins pl> ldevz<ins> vjkjlsvb<ins pl> k/lmvb<ins pl> , c rjnjhsvb cbltk yf jlyjq crfvmt.

Andrei introduced me to those two young people with whom he shared a bench.

[70]Ecgtiyjt hfpdbnbt ht,tyrf gj эnbv<dat pl> nhtv<dat> utythfkmysv<dat pl> kbybzv<dat pl> j,tcgtxbdftn cgjcj,yjcnm kbxyjcnb r hfpysv dblfv ltzntkmyjcnb.

Successful development of the child along these three general lines ensures the ability of an individual to engage in various forms of activity.

In direct cases, the quantified noun is genitive singular, not plural. Internal adjectives modifying the noun are plural, but the case depends on the gender of the noun. With masculine and neuter nouns, an adjective is always in the genitive.

[71]Pf,hfkb ldf lheub[<gen pl> j[jnybxmb[<gen pl> he;mz<\nt gen sg> . They confiscated two other hunting rifles.

[72]Kbim gjkegecne/n nhb<nom=acc> gthds[<gen pl> hzlf<\msc gen sg> , jnujhj;tyys[<gen pl> lkz gjxtnys[ ujcntq.

Half-empty are only the first three rows, roped off for important guests.

With feminine nouns, nom=acc case rather than genitive is usual:

188A Reference Grammar of Russian

[73]<f,eirf yfhbcjdfkf ldt {jlbyfrjdst<nom=acc pl> ?jlbyfrjds[<gen pl> }

fabib<\fem gen sg> .

Grandmother drew two identical posters.

[74]Gjl jlyjq flvbybcnhfwbtq ,skb j,(tlbytys ldt {vjcrjdcrbt<nom=acc pl> j,edyst<nom=acc pl> ?vjcrjdcrb[<gen pl> j,edys[<gen pl> } af,hbrb<\fem gen sg> . Under one administration were united two Moscow shoe factories.

[75]D ,jkmybwt hf,jnfkb ldt cfybnfhrb<\fem gen sg> , ghbckfyyst<nom pl> bp ujhjlf. In the hospital there were working two [female] orderlies, sent from the city.

The genitive, used rarely, focuses on the fact of existence or the quantity ([76-- 77]).22

[76]Gjlyzkcz cnjk, djls, hfplfkcz uke[jq dphsd. Vs ,hjcbkbcm d djle. B gjqvfkb . . . dctuj nhb {?jukeityyst<nom=acc pl> jukeityys[<gen pl> }

enrb<\fem gen sg> .

A column of water rose up, a thud resounded. We threw ourselves into the water. We had caught . . . all of three deafened ducks.

[77]D ,jkmybwt dctuj ldt cfybnfhrb<\fem gen sg> , ghbckfyys[<gen pl> bp ujhjlf.23

In the hospital there were altogether only two [female] orderlies, sent from the city.

Paucal numerals, unlike general numerals, usually express animacy.24 When the quantifier argument is accusative and the quantified noun is animate, the paucal numeral is in the genitive; the quantified noun is then genitive plural, not singular ([78] exty∫w): Modifiers, including modifiers of feminine nouns, are genitive plural ([78] vjkjlß[).

[78]Jy gjckfk pf ct,z эnb[<acc=gen pl> xtnsht[<acc=gen> vjkjls[<acc=gen pl>

extybw<acc=gen pl> .

In his place he sent those four young [female] students.

The special paucal quantifier j´,f/j´,t, like ldƒ/ld†, distinguishes gender, even in oblique cases: c j,tbvb<fem> ,enskrfvb. Unlike ldƒ/ld†, j´,f/j´,t presupposes that the two referents are individuated and known, a fact that leads to cer-

´ { } tain differences. O,f/j´,t generally elicits plural agreement ( ghbikb/ ghbikj

´

j,t ltdeirb ‘there arrived both girls’). O,f/j´,t can be used as an anaphor (j,f ghbikb ‘both arrived’) or as a modifier of the anaphoric pronoun (j,f jyb ghbikb ‘they both arrived’).

Constructions with numerals can be stated as a hierarchized list of branching decisions ([79], which does not treat external modifiers or complex numerals):

22Observation due to Worth 1959:123--24.

23[75], [77] from Mel chuk 1985[a]:448-49, here with a different interpretation.

24The thoroughly un-individuated [76] does not.

Arguments 189

[79]A l g o r i t h m s f o r n u m e r a l c o n s t r u c t i o n s if the quantifier phrase is in an oblique case:

quantifier, modifiers, and noun are in the oblique case; modifiers and noun are plural;

if the quantifier phrase is nominative or accusative: if the quantifier is paucal,

if the quantifier phrase is accusative, if the quantified noun is animate, then the quantifier is genitive, modifiers and the noun are genitive plural;

otherwise, the quantifier is nominative=accusative, the quantified noun genitive singular, internal modifiers plural,

nominative=accusative if the noun is feminine and the context non-existential,

otherwise genitive;

if the quantifier is a general (not a paucal) numeral,

the quantifier is nominative=accusative (regardless of animacy), modifiers and noun are genitive plural.

4.3.4 Mille numerals vbkkbjy, vbkkbfhl, nhbkkbjy, and nsczxf

Vbkkbj´y ‘million’, vbkkbƒhl ‘billion’, and nhbkkbj´y ‘trillion’ -- quantifiers expressing large quantities, which can for short be termed mille numerals -- behave more like nouns than quantifiers, though they quantify things and combine with ordinary numerals. They themselves can be quantified by other numerals or approximate quantifiers. With numerals that take the plural, they themselves form a plural ({itcnm ytcrjkmrj} vbkkbjyjd ‘{six several} million’); general numerals do not form plurals. Combined with a paucal numeral, a mille numeral goes into the genitive singular; the noun is genitive plural:

[80]Yf ljhjuf[ t;tujlyj ub,ytn ldf vbkkbjyf<gen sg> vfiby<gen pl> . On the roads two million cars perish every year.

When a mille quantifier occurs in an oblique case, the quantified noun still appears in the genitive, not the oblique case (dative in [81], instrumental in [82]):

[81]Z cgecnbkcz, lfd nt,t here, gj rhfqytq vtht gj vbkkbjye<dat sg> ktcnybw<gen pl> .

I have descended, with you on my arm, at least a million stairs.

[82]IBM ghjtrnbhetn rjvgm/nth c vbkkbjyjv<ins sg> ghjwtccjhjd<gen pl> . IBM envisions a computer with a million processors.

In these respects, mille numerals are more similar to nouns than to general numerals.