Portions and countability: A crosslinguistic investigation

Abstract We examine three constructions across several languages in which a mass noun is embedded what appears to be count environment, but the construction as whole remains mass. argue that discussed phenomena—“Q-noun” like lots of water , bare measure kilos sugar and pluralised nouns Greek Persian—all involve portioning-out denotation. provide structural account portioning out propose structures derive both out. Adopting an overlap-based approach mass/count distinction (e.g. Landman 2011; Rothstein Khrizman et al. 2015; 2016) we compositional semantics for proposed structures. The examined phenomena all share inference large quantity or abundance that, argue, cannot reduced lexical meaning expression, nor multiplicity contributed by plural morphology. show our cases total order ≤ on portion size analyse terms uninformativity-based Quantity implicature, following analysis positive form ( Mary tall ) Rett’s (2015) adjectival gradability.