Numerosity structures the expression of quantity in lexical numbers and grammatical number
Current Anthropology • Vol/Iss. 56(5) • University of Chicago Press • • Published In • Pages: 638-653 •
By Overmann, Karenleigh A.
Hypothesis
Grammatical number (GN) is sufficient for lexical numbers (LNs)
Note
Societies lacking GN and LNs (n=2) are significantly outnumbered by both societies possessing LNs beyond five or greater (the subitization threshold) but no GN (n=75), and by societies possessing LNs beyond five and GN (n=820). If the hypotheses (that nominal plurality is sufficient for developing LNs) were true, then "all languages with nominal plurality would develop LNs (and there were eight cases with only restricted LNs)" (p.640).
| Test Name | Support | Significance | Coefficient | Tail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparison of percentages | Not Supported | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Variable Name | Variable Type | OCM Term(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Highest Number Counted (Lexical Number) | Independent | Numeration |
| Nominal Plurality (Grammatical Number) | Dependent | Numeration |