Universal 550:
- Original
- The order noun-numeral is favoured in indefinite and approximative constructions.
- Standardized
- In indefinite and approximative constructions, the numeral tends to follow the noun.
- Keywords
- numeral, order, indefinite, approximative
- Domain
- syntax
- Type
- unconditional
- Status
- achronic
- Quality
- statistical
- Basis
- 56 languages mentioned in Greenberg 1978a
- Source
- Greenberg 1978a: 284 (#44)
- Counterexamples
For example in Bengali (Indic, IE), when the classifier phrase follows the noun the construction is definite, when it precedes it is indefinite.Also Russian: Num N = precise, N Num = approximative.Perhaps rather:When both orders occur, Num N and N Num, a numeral preceding the noun will be used for definiteness and preciseness and a numeral following the noun for indefiniteness and approximation.