THE CONTENT AND EXPRESSION OF THE GENDER OF THE ROMANIAN CARDINAL NUMERAL
THE CONTENT AND EXPRESSION OF THE GENDER OF THE ROMANIAN CARDINAL NUMERAL

Summary/Abstract: This paper represents a research of the contemporary Romanian language grammar on exclusive synchronic tract and proposes a new opening of the discussion on the status of one of the categories of the nominal group, the gender with three members, male, neuter, female, of the Romanian cardinal numeral. The analysis perimeter of our research compulsory assigns two complementary coordinates which are specific to all the grammar categories: content vs. expression. First of all, as the values of that part of speech and all the implications of the grammatical agreement (paradigmatic and syntagmatic) were accepted, we talk about an inescapable breaking of the category at the level of content. Secondly, until now, the grammar discourses analyze the morphemic status of the cardinal numeral within the big class of this part of speech in the opposition known in grammar as variable vs. invariable. In spite of that, the status of the category at the level of expression remains uncertain in the situations of invariability. Under these circumstances, the following limits are established: on one hand, by the obvious acceptance of the variable character of some lexemes included in that part of speech, the status of the gender grammar category is confirmed without doubt; on the other hand, by accepting the invariable character of other lexemes from this class, positioning therefore in the impossibility to delimitate the flective in the morphemic analysis, we consider as pertinent a succinct debate on the expression of gender category in this context.

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