non-classifier languages without plural inflexion

[Wolfgang Schulze]

> Anybody can kindly provide me with
> examples for languages that count nouns without classifiers
> (use Number directly with Nouns without Classifiers) and, at the same
> time, do not inflect their nouns for number?  That is, a bare noun
> can be interpreted as singular or plural ('book' meaning 'a book' or
> 'books') and can also occur with a number directly ('three book').

Have a look at Malgasy: Malgasy des not have number (_ny olona_ "human
being(s)" etc.), and numerals are used with bare nouns without
classifiers (numerals follow the noun, in case the noun does not
indicate weight, length, etc., time-sequence, sex, or certain kin
terms):
	
	sotro roa
	spoon two
	
	antsy telo
	knife three

	boky telo
	book three

	zaza efatra
	child four

	fito mianaka
	seven family=members
	
	telo metatra
	three meters

	rano iray litatra
	water one liter

Wolfgang

-
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang SCHULZE
Institut für Allgemeine und Indogermanische
Sprachwissenschaft * Universität München
Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 * D-80539 München
Tel.: +89-2180 2486
http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/~wschulze/