Chapter 6 - Numerals and Quantifiers

Summary

This chapter will discuss the use of numerals and quantifiers within the nominal °projection. Generally speaking, these elements occur in prenominal position after the determiners, as in (1a&b). This can be accounted for by assuming that the structure of the noun phrase is as given in (1c), where D indicates the position of the determiners and NUM/Q the position that can be occupied by a numeral or a quantifier. We will see, however, that, especially in the case of quantifiers, there are several deviant patterns that cannot be readily accounted for by means of the structure in (1c).

• a. de drie boeken

• the three books

• b. de vele problemen die hij had

• the many problems that he had

• c. [_DP D [_NUMP NUM/Q [_NP … N …]]]

We will start in Section 6.1 with a discussion of the numerals. Section 6.2 will be concerned with the quantifiers. Section 6.3 conclude this chapter with a more detailed discussion of so-called °quantitative er, given that this element may only occur in association with indefinite noun phrases that contain a cardinal number or a well-defined subset of quantifiers: Ik heb er [NP twee/veel [e]] ‘I have got two/a lot of them’.

Numerals

Traditionally two types of numerals are distinguished: cardinal numerals like vijf ‘five’ and ordinal numerals like vijfde ‘fifth’. These two types of numerals will be discussed in separate sections.

Cardinal numerals

This section starts in 6.1.1.1 with a discussion of the form of the cardinal numerals. It will be shown that the rules for coining numerals are pretty complex and allow a relatively large amount of variation. Section 6.1.1.2 focuses on the semantics of the numerals, and will show that determiner-less noun phrases normally allow two readings, which we will refer to as the indefinite and the partitive reading. Section 6.1.1.3 discusses the position of the numerals within the noun phrase. Finally, Section 6.1.1.4, discusses modification of the numerals. Simple and compound forms

The rules for the formation of complex cardinal numerals are themselves rather complex and often leave room for several alternative options. Three processes may be involved; see also Booij (2010:ch.8).