Universal 1621:
- Original
- If a language has adjectives, then the numeral tends to modify the noun directly (that is, in most languages that have adjectives the numeral does not require the occurrence of a sortal classifier), but not vice versa.
- Standardized
- IF there is a distinct word class of adjective, THEN numerals tend to combine with nouns directly, without a sortal classifier.
OR BY CONTRAPOSITION:
IF numerals do not combine with nouns directly but need a sortal classifier, THEN there is no distinct word class of adjective. - Keywords
- word class, adjective, numeral, noun, classifier
- Domain
- syntax
- Type
- implication
- Status
- achronic
- Quality
- statistical
- Basis
- 50 languages (sampled by the method of Bakker, Hengeveld, & Rijkhoff) surveyed in Rijkhoff 2000
- Source
- Rijkhoff 2000: 227
- Counterexamples
- Hmong Njua (Hmong-Mien).However, as Rijkhoff shows, Hmong Njua classifiers have assumed other functions and the language has developed some kind of regular number marking (which is unusual for a classifier language). This suggests that Hmong Njua does not use the kind of noun that is commonly employed in a classifier language.
Cf. #1626, which provides the rationale.Other formulation:In order for a language to have a word-class of adjectives, it must not have sortal classifiers of the Thai or Japanese type.