ON THE REPRESENTATION OF THE CATEGORY OF NUMBER IN NOUNS IN ESTONIAN AND RUSSIAN DICTIONARIES
ON THE REPRESENTATION OF THE CATEGORY OF NUMBER IN NOUNS IN ESTONIAN AND RUSSIAN DICTIONARIES

Summary/Abstract: Perceiving the category of number as the subject of grammar only is an oversimplification. Number forms of nouns are very lexicalized, and their dictionary interpretation (especially singularia and pluralia tantum) is sometimes inconsistent. The analysis of contemporary dictionaries (mostly defining and explanatory) compiled in Estonia and Russia is a study on the interpretation of grammar in typological lexicography. The research examines the interpreting of number paradigm in nouns, difficulties of reflecting the availability of number forms in different semantic classes as well as the change in number paradigms with the formation of complex words. The analysis of dictionary entries brings to light the dependence of this representation on the national lexicographic traditions and dictionary types. Resolving the aforementioned inconsistency may be important as many contemporary dictionaries become the foundation for numerous software and online resources.

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