When a General Classifier Acts as a Quantifier? The Case of Ħabbit 'a Grain of' in Jordanian Arabic. Issue 4 (2nd October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jaradat, Abdulazeez; Jarrah, Marwan
• Is Part Of: Word. Volume 68:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 422
• Page End: 438
• Publication Date: 2022-10-02
• Subjects: ħabbit -- individuation -- Division Phrase -- Quantity Phrase -- non-count nominal -- Jordanian Arabic -- paucity; Language and languages -- Periodicals; Taalwetenschap; Langage et langues -- Périodiques; Language and languages; Periodicals; 410
• DOI: 10.1080/00437956.2022.2084664
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0043-7956

Abstract

Abstract : This article offers a morphosyntactic account of the observation that the general dividing classifier ħabbit 'a grain of' in Jordanian Arabic (JA) can express another unpredictable interpretation when it is combined with non-count nominals. When ħabbit occurs with nominals that refer to [-animate] collectives (granular aggregates, legumes, nuts and seeds), it can give rise to individuation or paucal quantification. On the other hand, when it occurs with tiny atoms, it works as a quantifier. This essentially implies that the function of ħabbit as a divider or a quantifier in JA is determined with reference to the ontological properties of the nominal with which it combines. We propose that such readings are sensitive to whether Division Phrase (DivP) or Quantity Phrase (QP) is projected in the inflectional domain of the non-count nominals. When ħabbit merges under Div 0, an individuation reading is resulted. By contrast, when ħabbit merges under Q 0, paucal quantification reading is derived. Further, the dividing function of ħabbit in JA does not support Borer's (2005) proposal that division/classification is the only function of plural marking. It is rather ħabbit that divides, in line with Mathieu (2013) and Mathieu and Zareikar (2015) who propose that the plural can be counting.