Outline of a formal syntax of numerical expressions, with especial reference to the phenomenon of numeral classifiers

Abstract

I take as my starting point my earlier paper on so-called numeral classifiers (Lehman 1979), in which i was mainly concerned with the question whether or not classifiers are really, as is often claimed In the literature, a more or less language-and-culture-specific, comprehensive system of semantic classification' of the world and of experience, or rather something basically to do with the way the language handles the phenomenon of quantification. This was part of a more general line of work that is best understood by referring to my (1985b) paper. 'Cognition and Computation.' I shall not bother In the present paper to go Into the substance of either of the previous papers. But it is useful. I think, to outline here the general conclusions of the earlier classifiers paper.