Universal #582

Legacy number: 582

 Number  579
 Original  A language distinguishes between count and mass nouns if and only if a language possesses configurational NPs.
 Standardized  IF there is a distinction between count and mass nouns, THEN NPs are configurational.
IF NPs are configurational, THEN there is a distinction between count and mass nouns.
 Formula  count & mass nouns ⇔ configurational NP;
 Keywords  count noun, mass noun, configurational NP
 Domain  morphology, syntax, semantics
 Type  mutual implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  English, Russian (both Indo-European), Hebrew (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic), Georgian (S. Caucasian), Japanese (Japanese-Ryukyuan)
 Source  Gil 1987: 254-269

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