Editing Grammatical number (section)

===General, singulative, and plurative===
{{Main |Singulative number}}

In some languages, the default form of a noun is not singular, but rather general, which does not specify number and could mean one or more than one. Singular and plural forms are marked from the general form. The general is used when the specific number is deemed irrelevant or unimportant. In this system, the singular is often called the singulative, to distinguish it as derived from a different form. Similarly, the plural derived from the general has been called the plurative.<ref>{{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Greville G. |author-link=Greville G Corbett |year=2004 |orig-year=2000 |title=Number |series=Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=9–13, 17, 17n11 |isbn=0-511-01591-7 }}</ref> For example, in [[Pular language|Pular]]:<ref name="Caudill2000">{{cite book |last1=Caudill |first1=Herb |last2=Diallo |first2=Ousmane Besseko |year=2000 |title={{lang|fuf|Miɗo Waawi Pular!|cat=no}} Learner's Guide to Pular (Fuuta Jallon) |edition=2nd |url=https://archive.org/details/manual-pulaar/page/n35/mode/2up |location=Conakry, Guinea |publisher=Peace Corps |page=25 }}</ref>

*{{lang|fuf|bare}} - "dog(s)" (general, any number)
*{{lang|fuf|bare'''eru'''}} - "dog" (singulative)
*{{lang|fuf|bare'''eji'''}} - "dogs" (plurative)

However, some languages only have a two-way difference between general and plurative, like in [[Japanese language|Japanese]]:<ref>
Of the sources below, Corbett (2000) explains the number distinction with the examples spelled {{lang|ja-latn|inu}} and {{lang|ja-latn|inu-tati}}; Takebayashi (1996) spells each part individually as {{lang|ja-latn|inu}} ({{lang|ja|犬}}) and {{lang|ja-latn|-tachi}} ({{lang|ja|たち}}); Takano (1992) uses the romanized and unhyphenated {{lang|ja-latn|inutachi}}; and 研作 & 聡子 (2019) is an example of {{lang|ja|犬たち}} in use.
*{{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Greville G. |author-link=Greville G Corbett |year=2004 |orig-year=2000 |title=Number |series=Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=13–14 |isbn=0-511-01591-7 }}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Takebayashi |editor-first=Shigeru |year=2003 |orig-year=1996 |title=textsPocket Kenkyusha Japanese Dictionary |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_2900198607488/page/n143/mode/2up |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=127, 369 |isbn=978-0-19-860748-9 }}
*{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Takano |first=Hisako |year=1992 |title=Syntactic and Semantic Natures of Japanese Common Nouns |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/59188911.pdf |page=71 |publisher=Michigan State University |access-date=2024-03-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330061627/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/59188911.pdf |archive-date=2024-03-30 }}
*{{cite book |last1={{lang|ja|研作|cat=no}} |first1={{lang|ja|吉田|cat=no}} |last2={{lang|ja|聡子|cat=no}} |first2={{lang|ja|春日|cat=no}} |year=2019 |title={{lang|ja|起きてから寝るまでイヌ英語表現|cat=no}} |language=ja, en |location=Tokyo |publisher={{lang|ja|アルク|cat=no}} |isbn=978-4-7574-3170-6 }}
</ref>

*{{lang|ja-latn|inu}} ({{lang|ja|犬}}) - "dog(s)" (general)
*{{lang|ja-latn|inu'''tachi'''}} ({{lang|ja|犬たち}}) - "dogs" (plurative)

Less common is a two-way distinction between general and singulative. No language has this as its default number contrast, although some languages have specific nouns with this distinction.<ref>{{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Greville G. |author-link=Greville G Corbett |year=2004 |orig-year=2000 |title=Number |series=Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=16–17 |isbn=0-511-01591-7 }}</ref> For example, in [[Sidama language|Sidama]]:<ref name="Kawachi2007">{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Kawachi |first=Kazuhiro |year=2007 |title=A Grammar of Sidaama (Sidamo), a Cushitic Language of Ethiopia |url=https://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~dryer/KawachiSidaama.pdf |page=345 |publisher=University at Buffalo |access-date=2024-03-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608141913/https://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~dryer/KawachiSidaama.pdf |archive-date=2020-06-08 }}</ref>

*{{lang|sid|goto}} - "hyena(s)" (general)
*{{lang|sid|got'''iiččo'''}} - "hyena" (singulative)

In some languages like [[Afar language|Afar]], few nouns have a three-way contrast of general/singulative/plurative, but nouns with two-way contrasts of general/singulative and general/plurative are both common.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Parker |first1=E.M. |last2=Hayward |first2=R.J. |author-link2=Richard Hayward (linguist) |year=1985 |title=An Afar-English-French Dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English) |url=https://archive.org/details/afarenglishfrenc0000park/page/16/mode/2up |location=London |publisher=University of London |page=16 |isbn=0-7286-0124-9 }}</ref>

There are also languages which regularly employ different number systems with a dual, trial, paucal, or greater plural in addition to a general:
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*[[Hamer language|Hamer]] - general, singulative, and paucal:<ref name="Petrollino2016p72">{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Petrollino |first=Sara |year=2016 |title=A Grammar of Hamar: A South Omotic Language of Ethiopia |url=https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/handle/1887/44090 |pages=72, 77–79, 84, 89–90 |publisher=Leiden University |access-date=2024-03-30 }}</ref>
**{{lang|amf|qáski}} - "dog(s)" (general)
**{{lang|amf|qáski'''no'''}} - "dog" (singulative)
**{{lang|amf|qáski'''na'''}} - "a few dogs" (paucal)
|}
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*[[Warlpiri language|Warlpiri]] - general, dual, and paucal:<ref name="Kashket1987">{{cite report |author=Michael B. Kashket |date=September 22, 1987 |title=A Government-Binding Based Parser for Warlpiri, a Free-Word Order Language |series=Technical Report 993 |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA189381.pdf |location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory |pages=20, 23 |access-date=2024-03-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330150452/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA189381.pdf |archive-date=2024-03-30 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Legate |first=Julie Anne |author-link=Julie Anne Legate |date=2008 |title=Warlpiri and the Theory of Second Position Clitics |url=https://www.ling.upenn.edu/~jlegate/nllt26.pdf |journal=Natural Language & Linguistic Theory |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=3–60 [5, 20] |doi=10.1007/s11049-007-9030-0 |access-date=2024-03-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912091758/https://www.ling.upenn.edu/~jlegate/nllt26.pdf |archive-date=2023-09-12 }}</ref>
**{{lang|wbp|maliki}} - "dog(s)" (general)
**{{lang|wbp|maliki'''jarra'''}} - "two dogs" (dual)
**{{lang|wbp|maliki'''patu'''}} - "a few dogs" (paucal)
|}
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*[[Bambassi language|Bambassi]] - general, dual, and plurative:<ref>{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Ahland |first=Michael Bryan |year=2012 |title=A Grammar of Northern Mao (Màwés Aas'è) |url=https://cla.csulb.edu/departments/linguistics/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Ahland-2012.pdf |pages=194–199, 310 |publisher=University of Oregon |access-date=2024-03-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105044056/https://cla.csulb.edu/departments/linguistics/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Ahland-2012.pdf |archive-date=2023-11-05 }}</ref>
**{{lang|myf|kané}} - "dog(s)" (general)
**{{lang|myf|kan'''kuw'''e}} - "two dogs" (dual)
**{{lang|myf|kan'''ol'''e}} - "dogs" (plurative)
|}
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*[[Baiso language|Baiso]] - general, singulative, paucal, and plurative:<ref name="Corbett2000Baiso">{{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Greville G. |author-link=Greville G Corbett |year=2004 |orig-year=2000 |title=Number |series=Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=10–11, 22, 39, 42, 48, 127–129, 181–183 |isbn=0-511-01591-7 }}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Gnarie |first=Lemmi Kebebew  |year=2018 |title=Grammatical Description and Documentation of Bayso |url=https://etd.aau.edu.et/server/api/core/bitstreams/1a179e30-7371-4ab5-99ad-f02c53ed36e0/content |pages=62, 72, 76 |publisher=Addis Ababa University |access-date=2024-03-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331040925/https://etd.aau.edu.et/server/api/core/bitstreams/1a179e30-7371-4ab5-99ad-f02c53ed36e0/content |archive-date=2024-03-31 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/thelinguists/Endangered-Languages/One-of-a-kind-Words.html |title=One-of-a-kind Words |last1=Harrison |first1=David |author-link1=K. David Harrison |last2=Anderson |first2=Gregory |author-link2=Gregory Anderson (linguist) |date=2009 |website=PBS |access-date=2024-03-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222080527/https://www.pbs.org/thelinguists/Endangered-Languages/One-of-a-kind-Words.html |archive-date=2021-12-22 }}</ref>
**{{lang|bsw|ker}} - "dog(s)" (general)
**{{lang|bsw|ker'''titi'''}} - "dog" (singulative)
**{{lang|bsw|ker'''dʒedʒa'''}} - "a few dogs" (paucal)
**{{lang|bsw|ker'''oor'''}} - "dogs" (plurative)
|}
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*[[Arabana language|Arabana]] - general, dual, trial, and plurative:<ref name="Hercus1994">{{cite book |last=Hercus |first=Luise A. |author-link=Luise Hercus |year=1994 |title=A Grammar of the Arabana-Wangkangurru Language, Lake Eyre Basin, South Australia |series=Pacific Linguistics: Series C - no. 128 |location=Canberra |publisher=Australian National University |pages=63–65, 105 |isbn=0-85883-425-1}}</ref>
**{{lang|ard|madla}} - "dog(s)" (general)
**{{lang|ard|madla'''pula'''}} - "two dogs" (dual)
**{{lang|ard|madla'''karikari'''}} - "three dogs" (trial)
**{{lang|ard|madla'''kari'''}} - "dogs" (plurative)
|}
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*[[Kaytetye language|Kaytetye]] - general, dual, plurative, and greater plural:<ref name="Corbett2000Kaytetye">{{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Greville G. |author-link=Greville G Corbett |year=2004 |orig-year=2000 |title=Number |series=Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=33, 48–49, 127 |isbn=0-511-01591-7 }}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Panther |first=Forrest Andrew |year=2021 |title=Topics in Kaytetye Phonology and Morpho-Syntax |url=https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/services/Download/uon:38438/ATTACHMENT01 |pages=220, 247 |publisher=University of Newcastle |access-date=2024-03-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331064337/https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/services/Download/uon:38438/ATTACHMENT01 |archive-date=2024-03-31 }}</ref><ref name="Turpin2000">{{cite book |last=Turpin |first=Myfany |year=2000 |title=A Learner's Guide to Kaytetye |location=Alice Springs, Australia |publisher=IAD Press |page=43 |isbn=978-1-86465-026-6 }}</ref>
**{{lang|gbb|aleke}} - "dog(s)" (general)
**{{lang|gbb|aleke'''therre'''}} - "two dogs" (dual)
**{{lang|gbb|alek'''amerne'''}} - "dogs" (plurative)
**{{lang|gbb|alek'''eynenge'''}} - "all dogs" (greater plural)
|}
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Additional other systems can be seen in some languages only for specific nouns:
*In [[Burushaski]], for nouns that have the same form in the singular and the plural, the plural marker signifies a greater plural:<ref name="Yoshioka2012">{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Yoshioka |first=Noboru |year=2012 |title=A Reference Grammar of Eastern Burushaski |url=https://archive.org/details/a-reference-grammar-of-eastern-burushaski-by-yoshioka-noboru/page/40/mode/2up |page=40 |publisher=Tokyo University of Foreign Studies }}</ref>
**{{lang|bsk|čhúmo}} - "fish" (general)
**{{lang|bsk|čhúmo'''muc'''}} - "a quite large number of fish" (greater plural)
*In addition to general, singulative, and paucal, some nouns in Hamer have an additional distinction that has been analyzed either as a greater plural<ref>{{cite book |last=Lydall |first=Jean |editor-last=Bender |editor-first=M. Lionel |editor-link=Lionel Bender |year=1976 |title=The Non-Semitic Languages of Ethiopia |series=Committee on Ethiopian Studies, Occasional Papers Series, Monograph No. 5 |chapter=Hamer |location=East Lansing, MI |publisher=African Studies Center, Michigan State University |pages=393–438 [407–409] }}</ref> or a collective plural.<ref name="Petrollino2000p80">{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Petrollino |first=Sara |year=2016 |title=A Grammar of Hamar: A South Omotic Language of Ethiopia |url=https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/handle/1887/44090 |pages=77–80, 82–85, 87–90 |publisher=Leiden University |access-date=2024-03-30 }}</ref> It seems to unambiguously be a greater plural in specific cases, such as:<ref>{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |last=Petrollino |first=Sara |year=2016 |title=A Grammar of Hamar: A South Omotic Language of Ethiopia |url=https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/handle/1887/44090 |page=80 |publisher=Leiden University |access-date=2024-03-30 }}</ref>
**{{lang|amf|hámar}} - "Hamer person/people" (general)
**{{lang|amf|hamar'''tâ'''}} (m) / {{lang|amf|hamar'''tóno'''}} (f) - "Hamer person" (singulative)
**{{lang|amf|hámar'''ra'''}} - "a few Hamer people" (paucal)
**{{lang|amf|hámar'''ro'''}} - "all Hamer people" (greater plural)
*Some dialects of Arabic have a few nouns that exhibit a five-way distinction of general, singulative, dual, plurative, and greater plural. In [[Damascus Arabic]]:<ref name="Corbett2000p32"/>
**{{lang|apc-latn|dəbbān}} - "fly/flies" (general)
**{{lang|apc-latn|dəbbān'''e'''}} - "fly" (singulative)
**{{lang|apc-latn|dəbbān'''tēn'''}} - "two flies" (dual)
**{{lang|apc-latn|dəbbān'''āt'''}} - "flies" (plurative)
**{{lang|apc-latn|d'''a'''ba'''bī'''n}} - "many flies" (greater plural)