QUANTIFYING NUMBER IN THE NOUN PHRASE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN ENGLISH AND MACEDONIAN

Authors

  • Aneta Naumoska Department of English Language and Literature, “Blaže Koneski” Faculty of Philology – Skopje, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, N. Macedonia
  • Biljana Naumoska-Sarakinska Department of English Language and Literature, “Blaže Koneski” Faculty of Philology – Skopje, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, N. Macedonia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejlll.v8i1.501

Keywords:

semantics, number, partitivity, collectivity, distributivity

Abstract

This paper discusses some of the theoretical insights for English gained by means of a contrastive analysis with Macedonian on the issue of grammatical/semantic number in the NP, with a particular focus on the features of partitivity, collectivity and distributivity reflected through marked external (grammatical) means. Quantifying the NP provides information on the fragmentation of the whole, togetherness of the whole (with non-determinedness of entities), or the individuality of each element of the whole. The quantitative characteristics are visible in the NP structure, while the syntactic relationships formally realize the connection between the quantity in the NP and semanticity. Through excerpted examples from authentic source materials (in English and Macedonian) and translations, it will be concluded that both languages have more commonalities than differences in the morphology and semantics of these features, although precision of language means is necessary to avoid miscommunication.

 

Author Biographies

  • Aneta Naumoska, Department of English Language and Literature, “Blaže Koneski” Faculty of Philology – Skopje, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, N. Macedonia

    Aneta Naumoska is an Associate Professor in Linguistics at the Department of English Language and Literature, “Blaze Koneski” Faculty of Philology, Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (N. Macedonia). Her key interests are in grammatical categories (gender, number / singular ‘they’). She has co-authored University coursebooks on Business English, Psycholinguistics, and Aviation English.

  • Biljana Naumoska-Sarakinska, Department of English Language and Literature, “Blaže Koneski” Faculty of Philology – Skopje, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, N. Macedonia

    Biljana Naumoska-Sarakinska is a Full Professor at the Department of English Language and Literature, “Blaze Koneski” Faculty of Philology, Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (N. Macedonia). Her key interests are in the field of English grammar and linguistics, in the areas of semantics, word formation, morphology, lexicology, as well as ESP – Business English. She teaches a number of core and elective courses at the undergraduate level of studies, including Modern English, Semantics, Business English Communication, and Correspondence, as well as Business English at the Faculty of Economics, within the same University. She is also engaged as Visiting Professor at the Faculty in Novi Sad.

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Published

2024-03-01

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2024)

Section

Articles