There is a universal principle that in numeral classifier languages classifier concatenates with a quantifier, locative, demonstrative, or predicate to form a nexus that cannot be interrupted by the noun which is classified.
Standardized
There is a universal principle that in numeral classifier languages a classifier concatenates with a quantifier, locative, demonstrative, or predicate to form a nexus that cannot be interrupted by the noun which is classified.
Keywords
classifier, numeral, order
Domain
syntax
Type
unconditional
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute
Basis
sample of about 100 languages in Greenberg 1972; more than 50 classifier languages from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania in Allan 1977
This principle entails that only the following sequences are permissible for the paradigm combination of quantifier, classifier and noun: Q C N (e. g. Amerind languages, Bengali, Chinese, Semitic languages, Vietnamese); N Q C (e. g. Burmese, Japanese, Thai); C Q N (e. g. Kiriwina (Oceanic)); N C Q (e. g. Louisiade Archipelago (Oceanic)).
This principle entails that only the following sequences are permissible for the paradigm combination of quantifier, classifier and noun: Q C N (e. g. Amerind languages, Bengali, Chinese, Semitic languages, Vietnamese); N Q C (e. g. Burmese, Japanese, Thai); C Q N (e. g. Kiriwina (Oceanic)); N C Q (e. g. Louisiade Archipelago (Oceanic)).