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A Grammar of Hokkaido Ainu

Knowledge base · Part VIII — Pronouns, Demonstratives, Postpositions, and Numerals

55. Numeral Classifiers, Ordinals, and Quantifier Syntax

How do numeral words, classifiers, ordinals, and quantifiers behave syntactically in Hokkaido Ainu?

北海道アイヌ語において、数詞、類別詞、序数、数量詞は統語的にどのように振る舞うか。

Numeral classifiers, derived numeral categories, and the syntax of quantification and quantifier float.

candidate topic from the first edition topic:nominal/numeral-classifiers-ordinals-and-quantifier-syntax read this topic as text

51claims
130statements
14sources
12examples
13sections
94first-edition sentences

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Forms mentioned

-n/-iw 8-p/-pe 7-utar 5ne 4to 4suy 4tu cip 2iwan kosonte 2tun katkemat 2-p 2-n 2sinenne 2sine to 2rerko 2arsuy 2tusuy 2resuy 2iwan 2iwan suy 2hoskino 2iyotta hoski 2inne 2tuki sinep 1p 1pe 1sine, tu, re, ine, asikne 1-pe 1iwan, arwan, tupesan, sinepesan, wan 1-p/-n 1-iw 1hempakiw 1hempak-iw 1asiknen okkayo 1asiknehotne 1tutko 1ine rerko 1asikne rerko 1ar 1ar-itak 1sine 1

Claims

A claim is one proposition; under it stand the statements of each source, with the stance that source takes. Claims are grouped by a model from the extracted statements and carry that status until reviewed.

Sections

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The three numeral word-classes and the classifier alternation 3 claims ·7 sentences

What distinct word classes do numerals form, and how do classifiers alternate with them?

  1. Counters for persons and things suffixed with -ne form adverbial expressions of quantity.
    人や物の助数詞に -ne が接尾辞付加されると、数量の副詞的表現が形成される。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai -ne
    asserts refsing1986
  2. Units of counting such as ras 'sheet(s)' and 'aynu 'person(s)' are classified as numeral units (num).
    ras「〜枚」や 'aynu「〜人」などは、助数詞（num）に分類される。
    membership sakhalin example_only ras'aynu
    asserts murasaki2025
  3. Forms where a numeral is extended by a counter to form a number are always free forms.
    数詞に助数詞が付加されて数を形成する形式は常に自立形式である。
    membership hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all
    asserts refsing1986

The thing-counting suffix -p/-pe 6 claims ·10 sentences· 4 examples

How does the thing-counting suffix form counting nouns, and what entities can they refer to?

  1. The numeral classifier -p/-pe is used for counting inanimates, animals, and human beings alike.
    助数詞 -p/-pe は、事物、動物、人間を数えるために広く用いられる。
    form-function ainu -p-pe
    asserts kindaichi1936, refsing1986
  2. Numerals formed with -p(e) are never used adnominally and always appear in apposition when referring to an overt noun.
    -p(e) を伴う数詞は決して連体修飾としては用いられず、文脈中の名詞を明示的に指示する場合は常に同格の位置に現れる。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai -p-pe
    asserts refsing1986
  3. Ainu numerals may occur with two suffixes: -p ~ -pe for things (from pe 'thing') and -n ~ -iw for human beings (from aynu 'human being').
    アイヌ語の数詞は、事物を表す接尾辞 -p ~ -pe（pe「もの」に由来）および人間を表す接尾辞 -n ~ -iw（aynu「人間」に由来）の2つの接尾辞を伴って現れ得る。
    form-function ainu -p-pe-n-iw
    asserts alonso2022
  4. The complex numeral forms for 2 and 3 can furthermore take the suffix -pish, as in tuppish.
    2および3の複合数詞形は、さらに接尾辞 -pish を取ることがある（例：tuppish）。
    existence ainu all -pishtuppish
    asserts kindaichi1936
  5. The forms ending in -pish may have originally been distributive numerals meaning 'by twos' or 'by threes'.
    -pish に終わる形式は、あるいは本来「二つづゝ」「三つづゝ」を意味する配分数詞であったとも思われる。
    analysis ainu -pish
    proposes kindaichi1936
  6. The numeral sinep 'one (thing)' can also be used for human beings.
    数詞 sinep「一つ」は人間に対しても使われる。
    distribution generic sinep
    asserts sato2008
sine okkaypo ek a wa
one youth come PFV CONJ
‘A youth came, …’
sato2008:257 CHI
tuki sine-p
cup one-CL
‘one cup’
nakagawa2024:464 SAR
toonta pon kamuy re-p an ma
there small bear three-CL exist FIN
‘There are three bear cubs over there.’
sato2008:256 CHI
aoka sine-p ka a=tuye somo ki
we one-CL even 4.A=cut NEG do
‘We did not cut even one (of them).’
nakagawa2024:464 SAR

The person-counting suffix -n/-iw 6 claims ·9 sentences· 2 examples

What are the allomorphs of the person-counting suffix, and on which numeral stems do they appear?

  1. The classifier -n/-iw is used with numerals exclusively for counting human beings.
    助数詞 -n/-iw は数詞とともに用いられ、人間を数えるためにのみ使用される。
    form-function ainu -n-iw
    asserts refsing1986
  2. Numeral forms used for counting human beings may also occur in adnominal position preceding the noun.
    人間を数えるための数詞形は、名詞の前に置かれて連体修飾的にも用いられ得る。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai -n-iw
    asserts refsing1986
  3. The numeral sinen 'one person' followed by the copula ne forms the fixed idiom sinenne meaning 'alone' or 'by oneself'.
    数詞 sinen「1人」にコピュラ ne が後続すると、「1人で」「独力で」を意味する固定的な慣用句 sinenne が形成される。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai sinensinennene
    asserts refsing1986
  4. The suffix meaning 'person' attached to numerals has the form -n after vowels and -iu after consonants.
    数詞に付いて「人」を意味する語尾は、母音の後では-n、子音の後では-iuとなる。
    alternation ainu all -n-iu
    asserts kindaichi1936
  5. The numeral series shinen, tun, ren, inen, ashiknen, etc., is used exclusively for counting people.
    shinen, tun, ren, inen, ashiknen などの形式は人にのみ用いる。
    distribution ainu all shinentunreninenashikneniwaniu
    asserts kindaichi1936
  6. In the Rayciska dialect of Sakhalin Ainu, counting humans from one to five is formed by prefixing the bare numeral stem to 'aynu (e.g., sine'aynu, tu'aynu, re'aynu, 'iine'aynu, 'asne'aynu).
    樺太アイヌ語ライチシカ方言では、1人から5人までの人数は数詞語幹に 'aynu を後続させて形成される（sine'aynu、tu'aynu、re'aynu、'iine'aynu、'asne'aynu）。
    paradigm-cell sakhalin sine'aynutu'aynure'aynu'iine'aynu'asne'aynu
    asserts murasaki2025
asiknehotne-n asir cise or ta uekarpa
five.twenty-HUM new house inside LOC gather
‘A hundred people (5×20) gathered in the new house.’
ainukoraci1991 SAR
re-n a=ne wa oka=an
three-HUM 4.A=COP CONJ exist.PL=4.S
‘We were three and lived (together).’
nakagawa2024:300 SAR

Word-classifiers: to 'day' and suy 'time/turn' 6 claims ·7 sentences· 1 examples

How do the free nouns for 'day' and 'time/turn' function as mensural elements after numerals?

  1. Days are counted using irregular or suppletive forms, such as sineto 'one day', tutko 'two days', rerko 'three days', and ine rerko 'four days'.
    日数は sineto「1日」、tutko「2日」、rerko「3日」、ine rerko「4日」などの不規則または補充的な形式を用いて数えられる。
    paradigm-cell hokkaido/southwest/shizunai sinetotutkorerkoine rerkoasikne rerko
    asserts refsing1986
  2. The temporal idioms sine an pa ta '(then) one year' and sine an to ta '(then) one day' include the existential verb an, whereas an is omitted when counting duration.
    「（ある）年に」を表す sine an pa ta や「（ある）日に」を表す sine an to ta という時を表す慣用句には存在動詞 an が含まれるが、期間を数える際には省かれる。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai sine an pa tasine an to tasine tosine paan
    asserts refsing1986
  3. Ainu possesses two word-classifiers used with numbers: to for counting days and suy for counting times.
    アイヌ語には数詞とともに用いられる2つの語助数詞、すなわち日数を数える to と回数を数える suy がある。
    existence ainu tosuy
    asserts alonso2022
  4. The suffix -sui is used to form iterative numerals (e.g., ar-sui 'once', tu-sui 'twice', re-sui 'three times').
    反復数には -sui を用いる（例: ar-sui「一回」、tu-sui「二回」、re-sui「三回」）。
    form-function ainu all -suiar-suitu-suire-suiine-suiashikne-sui
    asserts kindaichi1936
  5. Special numeral forms have developed for counting days: shine-to 'one day', tutko 'two days', rerko 'three days', ine-rerko 'four days', iwan-rerko 'six days', and hempak-rerko 'how many days'.
    日数を数えるには特別な形式が発達している（shine-to「一日」、tutko「二日」、rerko「三日」、ine-rerko「四日」、iwan-rerko「六日」、hempak-rerko「幾日」）。
    existence ainu shine-totutkorerkoine-rerkoiwan-rerkohempak-rerko
    asserts kindaichi1936
  6. When counting occasions or times, the special term arsuy is used for 'once', alongside tusuy 'twice' and resuy 'three times'.
    回数（度数）を数える際、「1回」には arsuy という特別な語が用いられ、以後は tusuy「2回」、resuy「3回」などと続く。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all arsuysuytusuyresuy
    asserts refsing1986
iwan suy a=i=hotuyekar hine
many time 4.A=4.O=call.out CONJ
‘(They) called out many times, …’
nakagawa2024:469 SAR

Classifier or counter? The terminological debate 3 claims ·12 sentences

Is there disagreement about whether these elements count as numeral classifiers, and why?

  1. In Pre-Proto-Ainu, numeral classifiers, if they existed, were a productive and distinct feature of the language.
    前祖アイヌ語において、助数詞（存在したとすれば）は生産的で明確な言語特徴であった。
    diachrony ainu
    asserts alonso2022
  2. Nouns denoting units that combine with numeral adnominals to function as nouns or adverbs are called numeral classifiers (助数詞).
    数連体詞に接続して名詞、または副詞として機能する単位を表す名詞を助数詞と呼ぶ。
    terminology sakhalin generic
    asserts murasaki2025
  3. Ainu does not have numeral classifiers (counter words) such as Japanese -sō, -nin, or -mai, and all counting expressions are formed simply as numeral prenominal plus noun.
    アイヌ語には日本語の「艘」「人」「枚」のような助数詞は存在せず、すべて「数連体詞＋名詞」で表される。
    absence ainu none
    asserts nakagawa2024

Ordinal expressions 1 claims ·10 sentences· 2 examples

How is ordinal meaning expressed if there is no dedicated ordinal word class?

  1. Ordinal numerals are formed using otutanu (e.g., hoshki 'first', tu-otutanu 'second', re-otutanu 'third', ine-otutanu 'fourth').
    序数には otutanu を用いる（例: hoshki「最初の」、tu-otutanu「二番目の」、re-otutanu「三番目の」、ine-otutanu「四番目の」）。
    form-function ainu all otutanuhoshkitu-otutanure-otutanuine-otutanu
    asserts kindaichi1936
sine-n ne
one-HUM COP
‘alone, by oneself’
refsing1986:117 SHI
tu-p ne ukosaraye
two-CL COP split
‘Divide it in two.’
refsing1986:117 SHI

Quantifier syntax: three positions 2 claims ·1 sentences

What syntactic positions can numeral categories occupy, and how does each position affect meaning?

  1. The adnominal use of the basic numeral morpheme occurs much less frequently than the appositional or nominal use of numbers.
    基本数詞形態素の連体修飾的用法は、数の同格的または名詞的用法に比べてはるかに稀にしか現れない。
    frequency hokkaido/southwest/shizunai measured
    asserts refsing1986
  2. In texts, nominalized numerals are found to quantify only subject or direct object nominals, with no attested instances of oblique nominal quantification.
    テキストの調査では、名詞化された数詞が主語または直接目的語の名詞を数量化する事例のみが確認され、斜格名詞を数量化する事例は見られない。
    frequency ainu all
    asserts shibatani1990

Prenominal position 6 claims ·3 sentences

How does a bare numeral stem behave when placed before a noun, and what can intervene?

  1. Most nouns can be counted by placing the basic form of the numeral directly in front of the noun.
    大部分の名詞は、数詞の基本形を名詞の直前に置くことで数えることができる。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai
    asserts refsing1986
  2. Numerals in their basic form are used exclusively in adnominal position.
    基本形の数詞は連体修飾の位置でのみ用いられる。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai
    asserts refsing1986
  3. A pronominal affix or a stative verb may be inserted between an adnominal numeral and the noun it modifies.
    名詞修飾の数詞とそれが修飾する名詞の間に、代名詞的接辞や状態動詞を挿入することができる。
    ordering hokkaido/southwest/shizunai
    asserts refsing1986
  4. The numeral adnominal 'sine' (one) precedes a noun and does not change its form regardless of what noun follows it.
    sine は「一つの」という意味の「数連体詞」で後ろに名詞が来るが，後ろにどんな名詞が来ても形が変わらない。
    distribution ainu all sine
    asserts sato2008
  5. Numeral adnominals precede the noun they modify.
    数連体詞は修飾する名詞の前に置かれる。
    ordering ainu all sineture
    asserts sato2008
  6. A quantifier precedes the noun it modifies in Ainu.
    アイヌ語において数量詞は修飾される名詞に先行する。
    ordering ainu generic
    asserts shibatani1990

Post-nominal (appositional) position 4 claims ·5 sentences· 1 examples

How does a numeral noun function in postnominal apposition, and what positional restriction applies?

  1. When counters like -n/-iw or -p(e) are used, the counted noun often precedes the numeral, placing the numeral in apposition.
    助数詞 -n/-iw または -p(e) が用いられる場合、被計数名詞はしばしば数詞の前に置かれ、数詞は名詞と同格となる。
    ordering hokkaido/southwest/shizunai -n-iw-p-pe
    asserts refsing1986
  2. A restrictive postposition may intervene between the counted noun and the appositional numeral.
    被計数名詞と同格の数詞の間には限定後置詞が介入し得る。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai
    asserts refsing1986
  3. Numeral nouns can occur either alone or directly following a lexical noun.
    数名詞は単独で用いられるほか、名詞の後ろに置かれて［名詞＋数名詞］の形で用いられる。
    distribution ainu generic sinepreptup
    asserts sato2008
  4. In the author's Ainu data, in the [Noun + Numeral Noun] construction, there are no examples of an intervening modifier between the noun and the numeral noun.
    著者の手持ちデータでは、アイヌ語において名詞と数名詞の間に修飾語が入った例はない。
    absence ainu none
    asserts sato2008
a=acautari re-n
4.POSS=uncle-ASS three-HUM
‘my three uncles’
nakagawa2024:464 SAR

Predicative (pure noun) position 2 claims ·6 sentences· 1 examples

How can numeral nouns serve as predicates or standalone heads without a co-occurring noun?

  1. Numerals may stand alone without modifying an overt noun, functioning as pure nouns meaning simply 'one thing' or 'one person'.
    数詞は明示的な名詞を修飾せずに単独で立ち、単に「1つのもの」や「1人の人」を意味する自立名詞として機能し得る。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai
    asserts refsing1986
  2. When a numeral functioning as a pure noun is followed by the copula ne, an adverbial expression is formed.
    自立名詞として機能する数詞にコピュラ ne が後続すると、副詞的表現が形成される。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai ne
    asserts refsing1986
sinen askay
one-HUM be.good.at
‘One person is good at it.’
refsing1986:116 SHI

Quantifier float and the noun–numeral–verb pattern 6 sentences· 1 examples

Can the appositional numeral noun appear away from its head noun, and where may it occur?

pasuy sine-p uk
chopstick one-CL take
‘Take one chopstick.’
constructed

Numeral–nominal number interactions 2 claims ·6 sentences

How does numeral value interact with singular versus plural forms of the counted noun?

  1. When the copula ne follows a numeral before coordinative wa, it takes the same pronominal subject affix as the predicate of the following clause.
    数詞に後続するコピュラ ne が等位接続詞 wa の前に現れる場合、ne は後続節の述語の主語と同じ人称接辞を取る。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai newa
    asserts refsing1986
  2. The number of people acting together can be expressed either with numeral noun + verb ne + conjunctive wa, or with numeral noun + translative particle ne + verb.
    人数を示す場合、数名詞＋動詞 ne ＋接続助詞 wa という形でも、数名詞＋転成格 ne ＋動詞という形でも表現できる。
    form-function ainu generic newa
    asserts nakagawa2024

Universal and approximative quantifiers 10 claims ·12 sentences

Which words function as universal or approximative quantifiers, and how are they used?

  1. The prefix kes- means 'every', as in kes-to 'every day', kes-ukuran 'every evening', and kes-pa 'every year'.
    接頭辞 kes- は「毎〜」を意味し、kes-to「毎日」、kes-ukuran「毎夕」、kes-pa「毎年」などを形成する。
    form-function ainu generic kes-kes-tokes-ukurankes-pa
    asserts kindaichi1936
  2. 'okore means 'all, both, everyone' referring collectively to the preceding elements, and can also be analyzed as an adverb.
    'okore は「全部の、〜とも、みんな」と全部まとめていう表現であり、副詞と考えられる場合もある。
    form-function sakhalin generic 'okore
    asserts murasaki2025
  3. ranke is a postposition meaning 'each', 'at a time'.
    ranke は「〜ずつ」を意味する後置詞である。
    form-function sakhalin ranke
    asserts murasaki2025
  4. Most quantity nouns that do not contain a numeral are always free forms.
    数詞を含まない数量名詞の大部分は常に自立形式である。
    membership hokkaido/southwest/shizunai usually
    asserts refsing1986
  5. The numeral iwan 'six' can occasionally be used to mean 'many', especially in oral literature and fixed sayings.
    数詞 iwan「6」は、特に口承文芸や固定表現において時に「多くの」という意味で用いられる。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai exists iwan
    asserts refsing1986
  6. The numerals tu and re in combination can mean 'many', and in this meaning they are often reinforced by the prefix o-.
    数詞 tu と re を組み合わせると「多くの」を意味することができ、この意味では接頭辞 o- によって強められることがしばしばある。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai exists tureo-
    asserts refsing1986
  7. Quantity nouns like poronno 'a lot', ponno 'a little', opitta 'all', and inne 'a great many people' can occur in apposition to the noun they modify or function as pure nouns.
    poronno（たくさん）、ponno（少し）、opitta（すべて）、inne（大勢の人）などの数量名詞は、修飾する名詞と同格の位置に置かれることも、自立名詞として機能することもできる。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all poronnoponnoopittainne
    asserts refsing1986
  8. Among quantity nouns, only poronno and ponno can occur in adnominal position.
    数量名詞のうち、poronno と ponno のみが連体修飾の位置にも現れる。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all poronnoponno
    asserts refsing1986
  9. The morpheme ranke functions as a restrictive postposition after quantity nouns, carrying a distributive meaning '— each'.
    ranke は数量名詞の後で限定後置詞として機能し、「〜ずつ」という配分的な意味を持つ。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai generic ranke
    asserts refsing1986
  10. 'opítta and its inflected forms c-ópitta and 'eci-'opítta do not contrast with personal pronouns and do not belong to the personal pronoun paradigm, but share functions with quantity nouns such as sinép 'one' and sinén 'one person'.
    'opítta および人称接辞のついた c-ópitta, 'eci-'opítta は人称代名詞と対立するわけではないため人称代名詞の系列には属さず，sinép や sinén などの数量名詞と共通の職能を持っている。
    analysis hokkaido/southwest/saru generic 'opíttac-ópitta'eci-'opítta
    asserts tamura1972