Polyfunctionality of the English quantitative words
Polyfunctionality of the English quantitative words

Summary/Abstract: Words as polyfunctional units, nominate things, concepts, make sentences go, keep memory of the bygone days. People use words not only in communication but also in investigation. Numeric words (which are no exception) have witnessed the ways people used to cognize the world. Usually they are numerals, which are often referred to as counting numbers, indicating numeration. In remote times these words behaved otherwise which is proved by linguistic investigation, by reconstruction of old forms in different languages, by the study of semantic deviations and tendencies. The etymological analysis of number and measure words brings fruitful results. The mentioned analysis brings closer the past times, the mode of life of generations to have gone, their way of thinking, which spans efforts of people in cognizing Universe. Numeric words are traced in old linguistic forms; nowadays units fulfill nominative, cognitive and epidigmatic (word creating) functions.

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