10 Number in Nganasan

What is it about?

Nganasan (Samoyedic < Uralic) has a system of three numbers: singular,dual and plural, which are marked on all nominals for the object itself and, in the possessive forms, for the possessor. In the inflection, the three umbers are marked in all cases with the dual partly analytical. With paired objects, plural occurs more often than dual; in other cases when there are two objects, the dual is obligatory. Non-singular forms can have an associative reading. Numerals can also be in the plural, either referring to sets of objects or indicating an approximate quantity. Verbs have aspectual derivations which mark plurality of actions or arguments, such as iteratives, multiplicatives and so on. After numerals, nouns are used in the singular (except when the numeral itself is in the plural). Adjectives agree in number with their heads. Verbs agree in number with their subjects and, under certain circumstances, with the object.

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