9.1495, Qs: Color terms, Mass terms

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-9-1495. Mon Oct 26 1998. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 9.1495, Qs: Color terms, Mass terms

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We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually
best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is
then  strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list.   This policy was
instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we
would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Fri, 23 Oct 1998 21:37:47 -0400 (EDT)
From:  matubara at cybergal.com
Subject:  Color terms

2)
Date:  Sat, 24 Oct 1998 15:08:14 EDT
From:  Saltarel at aol.com
Subject:  Mass terms

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Fri, 23 Oct 1998 21:37:47 -0400 (EDT)
From:  matubara at cybergal.com
Subject:  Color terms


Dear linguists:

  My name is Mariko Matubara and I am a senior student working on my
graduate thesis in Japan. My topic is a cross-linguistic comparative
study of color terminology. I am looking for volunteers in order to
conduct a survey about the color terms in various languages. I would
appreciate it if you could answer a short survey about the color terms
in your language. Please E-mail me at matubara at cybergal.com for the
survey form. Your cooperation will be heartily appreciated. I will
post a summary if I receive enough number of responses.

 Thank you very much.
 Mariko Matubara



-------------------------------- Message 2 -------------------------------

Date:  Sat, 24 Oct 1998 15:08:14 EDT
From:  Saltarel at aol.com
Subject:  Mass terms

	The semantic distinction between 'mass' and 'count' for nouns,
verbs, and adjectives is evidenced in the syntax of many languages
(cf. Moravcsik 1973, for English). In a limited area of Italo-Romance
dialects in central-southern Italy the semantic distinction is also
represented in the determiner system, where we find a masculine
definite article LE for mass nouns and SE for count nouns:

      mass N					count N
	le pane  "bread			se cane   "the dog"
      le ferre  "iron (metal)"     se ferre    "the iron (tool)"
	le russe "red (color)" 	se russe  "the red head (man)"
      le spirite "alcohol"         se spirite "the ghost"

If you know of other languages which distinguish between mass and
count in their determiner system, I would appreciate any information
or reference about it. I will distribute a summary.

Thank you:

Mario Saltarelli
saltarel at usc.edu

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