Rara #144

Legacy number: 144

 Number  144
 Phenomenon  an asymmetric gender system, with genders distinguished in singular but not in plural, but a few words that do show a gender contrast in the plural, agreeing with nouns depending on their singular gender: the numerals 'two' and perhaps 'three', and the quantifier 'both'
 Found in  older West Germanic languages (Indo-European)
 Domain  morphology, syntax — agreement
 Type  infrequentale (family possession)
 Keywords  gender, number, numerals
 Source  Grimm, Jacob (1856). Über die zusammengesetzten zahlen. Germania 1: 18-33.
and grammars of relevant lgs

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Discussion
Notes
e.g., Old English twegen MASC, twa FEM, twa/tu NEUTER as well as resolution gender ?two? begen, ba, ba/bu ?both? ?rie, ?reo, ?rie ?three? German, up to 18th century: zween MASC, zwo FEM, zwei NEUT ?two? North Germanic and Gothic are similar (in Icelandic the pattern still survives, also including ?four?); but here gender is less asymmetric, with gender distinctions also found in plural.
Comment
Frans Plank · 21 Sep 2006
e.g., Old English
twegen MASC,twa FEM, twa/tu NEUTER as well as resolution gender 'two'
begen, ba, ba/bu 'both'
πrie, πreo, πrie 'three'
German, up to 18th century:
zween MASC, zwo FEM, zwei NEUT 'two'

North Germanic and Gothic are similar (in Icelandic the pattern still survives, also including 'four'); but here gender is less asymmetric, with gender distinctions also found in plural.