[Lingtyp] Weak scalar quantifiers (some)

[Christian Lehmann]

Dear Mira,

first, a request for conceptual clarification. You seem to be 
contrasting 'some' as a scalar quantifier to 'some' as a determiner. Is 
the latter the same as an indefinite pronoun? Such forms as Engl. 
/some/, Latin /aliquot/ etc. etc. are commonly used both as determiners 
and as pronouns s.s. (i.e., representing an NP). And if so, do you have 
a criterion to distinguish the quantifier from the pronoun? I am asking 
because they seem to be coded by the same forms and to have the same 
distribution in several languages.

Now, the standard German forms for the quantifier are /einige/ and 
/etliche/. The etymological dictionary of German 
(https://www.dwds.de/d/wb-etymwb) categorizes both as indefinite 
pronouns. /Einige/ is an adjectival derivation in /-ig/ of the base 
/ein/ 'one'. Interestingly, the derivation allows the word to be plural 
despite the meaning of its base, which reminds one of the 
grammaticalization fate of /uno/unos/ in Spanish. /Etliche/ comprises a 
formative /et-/ of unclear indefinite function and -- to my mind more 
plausibly than an adjectival derivation in /-lich/ -- a reduced form of 
the indefinite pronoun /welche/ 'some' (< 'which'). So these German 
quantifiers are clearly based on indefinite forms.

A better year to everybody,

Christian

-- 

Prof. em. Dr. Christian Lehmann
Rudolfstr. 4
99092 Erfurt
Deutschland

Tel.: 	+49/361/2113417
E-Post: 	christianw_lehmann at arcor.de
Web: 	https://www.christianlehmann.eu
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