Arguments 171

The animate accusative appears to be primarily a morphological phenomenon, whereby the accusative of the relevant paradigms is made identical to the genitive.14 This interpretation also fits with the fact that the application of the animate accusative depends on the specific paradigm involved.

4.1.7 Morphological categories of nouns: number

Ordinarily, a singular form means a single entity from the class and the plural form means two or more entities. The singular form can also be used in a generic meaning. The only complications in number concern nouns that are used in only one number and certain strategies for using number in ways that do not transparently match the real-world reference.

4.1.8 Number: pluralia tantum, singularia tantum

There is a small set of nouns that can occur only in the plural, the p l u r a l i a t a n t u m yj´;ybws ‘scissors’, infyß ‘trousers’, cénrb ‘day’. Historically, these are entities composed of paired parts. Because these nouns are already plural, to indicate more than one unit, it is necessary to use either collective numerals (nhj´t cénjr ‘three days’) or a classifier: nh∫ gƒhs hjl∫ntktq ‘three sets of parents’, y†crjkmrj gƒh cfy†q ‘several sleighs’.

Nouns naming masses, by virtue of their meaning, are not likely to be used in the plural. Still, a plural can be used to show that masses come in various types (the “sortal” plural):

[49]Lkz rf;ljuj xtkjdtrf cjcnfdktys bylbdblefkmyst ,bj[bvbxtcrbt rfhns gj dctv gfhfvtnhfv: cjnyb ,tkrjd<pl> , athvtynjd<pl> , ;bhjd<pl> b cf[fhjd<pl> . For each person individual biochemical profiles are prepared along all parameters: hundreds of proteins, enzymes, fats, and sugars.

Nouns naming abstract qualities or events, such as ghjbpdjl∫ntkmyjcnm ‘productivity’ or dtkbrjléibt ‘magnanimity’, are naturally singular, but occur in the plural if the quality is manifested as different types: ghtdhƒnyjcnb ‘perversions’, cgjcj´,yjcnb ‘abilities, talents’.

4.1.9 Number: figurative uses of number

A plural noun is said to achieve the effect of hyperbole when it is known that only one thing is involved, but it is unclear how productive this strategy is; the two most recent examples from the 1980s cited by one source involve eybd†hcbntns ‘universities’,15 a quote from Gorky.

14 Klenin 1983, especially 103.

15 Brusenskaia 1992:44.

Table 4.2 Uses of case

case	function	example
n o m i n a t i v e
predicate argument	agent/subject	Vfljyyf<nom> jxtym k/,bkf vfnm. Jlyfrj jyf<nom> evbhftn jn
		hfrf. ‘Madonna loved her mother. But she dies of cancer.’
predicative	if no temporal-aspectual-modal	Jy ,sk uthjq<nom> , jhltyjyjctw<nom> .
	restriction	‘He was a hero, a medal-wearer.’
preposition complement	missile classified in type (of people)	dsqnb d k/lb<nom> ‘go among the people’
adnominal	---	---
a c c u s a t i v e
predicate argument	patient/object	Эnj vtyz<acc> yt ckbirjv elbdbkj.
		‘That did not surprise me much.’
predicative	state predicated of patient/object §5.2.4	gjcflbnm tuj ujkjuj<acc> yf jckf
		‘set him naked on an ass’
preposition complement	direction of missile towards locus §4.2.3	d ‘into’, yf ‘onto’, j ‘against’, gjl ‘under’, xthtp ‘across’, ghj
		‘through’, etc.
adnominal	---	---
g e n i t i v e
predicate argument	argument of quantifying or negated	Dhtvtyb<gen> yt [dfnfkj.
	predicate; partitive	‘There wasn’t enough time.’
		nt, rnj yb cnhjxrb<gen> bp rybub yt xbnfk . . .
		‘those who haven’t read a line from the book . . .’
		Ult vj;yj dsgbnm gbdf<gen>?
		‘Where can one drink some beer?’
predicative	---
preposition complement	frustrated contact of missile with locus	jn ‘away’, lj ‘up to’, dljkm ‘along’, etc.
	§4.2.3
adnominal	analogous to patient of transitive or	xthxtybt rfhn<gen> ‘drawing of maps’
	agent of intransitive §4.5.3

Table 4.2 (cont.)

case	function	example
d a t i v e
predicate argument	goal of transfer of patient/object	Tq<dat> gkfnbkb cnbgtylb/.
		‘They paid her a scholarship.’
	goal of imposed modality	Yfv<dat> yflj ,snm ujnjdsvb r cfvjve [elitve.
		‘To us is necessary to be prepared for the worst.’
predicative	---
preposition complement	movement towards locus §4.2.3	r ‘to(wards)’, etc.
adnominal	if analogous to predicate
i n s t r u m e n t a l
predicate argument	synecdochic relation of agent and	Jyb gbnfkbcm jlybv h;fysv [kt,jv<ins> .
	patient interaction	‘They lived on only rye bread.’
predicative	if state subject to	Cyfxfkf jy ,sk uthjtv<ins> , pfntv --- dhfujv<ins> ‘At first he
	temporal-aspectual-modal	was a hero, then --- an enemy.’
	restriction §5.2.
preposition complement	missile in synecdochic contact with part	c ‘with’, gjl ‘beneath’, yfl ‘above’, pf ‘behind’, gthtl ‘before’,
	of locus §4.2.3	vt;le ‘between’
adnominal	if analogous to predicate	wbybxyjt ghtyt,ht;tybt vytybtv<ins> uhf;lfy ‘cynical neglect
		of citizens’ opinion’
l o c a t i v e
predicate argument	missile located in vicinity of locus	Gjkr cjchtljnjxbkcz d ktce<loc> .
		‘The regiment was concentrated in the forest.’
predicative	static contact of subject with locus	Z yt ,sk d Vjcrdt<loc> .
		‘I was not in Moscow.’
preposition complement	static contact of missile with locus §4.2.3	d ‘into’, yf ‘onto’, j ‘about’, ghb ‘in presence of ’, gj
		‘following on’
adnominal	location of event nominal	cjchtljnjxbdfybt gjkrf d ktce<loc>
		‘the concentration of the regiment in the forest’