What is plural number?

Definition
	Plural number is number that expresses reference to a quantity greater than that expressed by the largest specific number category in a language, such as "more than one" in English, and "more than two" in some other languages.

Example (English)
	Here is an example of plural number:
	The suffix -s expresses plural number, as in the word beggars.

Generic
	A plural number is a kind of
	What is number?

Sources
	Crystal 1980 245
	Hartmann and Stork 1972 178
	Crystal 1987 428
	Mish 1991 906

Context for this page:

Concept module: plural number
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): P
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

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