SINGULATIVE NUMBER Meaning and
Definition
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A singulative number is a linguistic term used to refer to a number that indicates the singularity or individuality of a noun or pronoun. It is used in languages where the default assumption is that nouns or pronouns are in the plural or collective form. In contrast, a singulative number is employed to specify that the noun or pronoun is in the singular form, denoting a single individual or entity.
Singulative numbers are commonly found in African languages, particularly Bantu languages, which have rich systems of noun class prefixes. In these languages, most nouns are inherently treated as plural or collective by default. Therefore, when one wants to indicate a noun as singular or to emphasize its singularity, a singulative marker or number is added.
Singulative numbers can take various forms depending on the language. For instance, in Swahili, a Bantu language spoken in East Africa, the prefix "m" is added to denote the singular form, while the plural form is indicated by the absence of the prefix. So, "mtu" means "a person" (singular), while "watú" means "people" (plural).
In summary, a singulative number is a linguistic feature used in certain languages to indicate that a noun or pronoun is in the singular form, emphasizing its individuality or singularity in contrast to the default plural or collective assumption.
Etymology of SINGULATIVE NUMBER
The word "singulative number" is a term coined by linguists to describe a specific grammatical number that indicates a single or individual object or entity. However, the etymology of the word "singulative" itself is derived from the Latin word "singulativus", which means "making single".
In linguistic terms, the singulative number is used in some languages as a marked form to represent a single element or to distinguish between a single and non-single (plural or collective) reference. For example, in Arabic, the singulative form is created by adding the morpheme "-at" to the noun, indicating a single instance of that noun. The singulative number is often contrasted with the collective or plural number, which indicates a group or multiple entities.
