Universal #548

Legacy number: 548

 Number  546
 Original  In languages in which the expression of plurality is facultative in the noun, the singular may be used with numerals designating numbers >1.
 Standardized  IF plural marking on nouns is optional, THEN the singular may be used on nouns in construction with numerals higher than 1.
 Keywords  noun, numeral
 Domain  inflection, word formation
 Type  no genuine implication; rather: provided that
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  56 languages mentioned in Greenberg 1978a
 Source  Greenberg 1978a: 282 (#40)

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Discussion
Notes
Greenberg assumes that one of the characteristics of unmarked categories (in this case the singular) is that in many instances they stand for the category as a whole, and hence they may be used with the plural, while the marked category of the plural is restricted to actual plurality. Whenever this holds, the cardinal numbers >1 are included in the situations in which a singular form of the noun may, or usually must be used. See also #549.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Greenberg assumes that one of the characteristics of unmarked categories (in this case the singular) is that in many instances they stand for the category as a whole, and hence they may be used with the plural, while the marked category of the plural is restricted to actual plurality. Whenever this holds, the cardinal numbers >1 are included in the situations in which a singular form of the noun may, or usually must be used. See also <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=549"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">.