On the Use of Collective Numerals with Inanimate Nouns in Russian (Norm and Usage)
Ahti Nikunlassi · Scando Slavica · 2006
The paper discusses the results of two empirical investigations concerning the means of quantification of inanimate plural-only nouns in Contemporary Russian. The results indicated that the use of collective numerals with these nouns is much more restricted than most of the grammars and reference books suggest. Both studies showed considerable lexical idiosyncrasies in the choice of the means of quantification. Interestingly, however, in both studies the relative positions of individual nouns were almost the same when the nouns were ordered according to decreasing acceptability/use of collective numerals. The results give some support to the hypothesis that the choice of the means of quantification is partly determined by the internal stucture of the object denoted by the noun: the stronger the image of 'pairedness' is the lower the acceptability of collective numerals (cf. sapogi; brjuki, ocki; noznicy; nosilky, sani; casy, sutki). On the other hand, the frequent use of phrases such as dve pary sapog/brjuk/ockov/noznyc has given rise to the use of para as a kind of a numeral classifier deprived of its original quantitative meaning (e.g. dve pary casov in the meaning 'two clocks').