What is a count noun?

Definition
	A count noun is a noun whose possible referents are thought of as separate entities.
	It thus has the ability
	to take a plural form to occur with distinctive determiners (such as a/an, many), and to occur with cardinal numerals.
	It does not have the ability, however, to occur with a determiner such as much.

Discussion

Some nouns permit treatment as either count or mass nouns.

Example:

In English, salad may be treated as either a count or mass noun, as evidenced by the acceptability of the following expressions:

Examples (English)
	The word farmer is an example of a count noun, as evidenced by the acceptability of the following expressions: Farmer Farmers A farmer Many farmers Two farmers However, the expression much farmer is not acceptable.

Sources
	Crystal 1985 79
	Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 246
	Mish 1991 298

Concept module: count noun
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): C
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004