Why study semantic plurality and pluralities of entities?: Chapter 1. Introduction

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Chapter 1
Introduction

Published online: 7 November 2019

Article outline

1.1What is a plurality of entities?
- 1.1.1‘Plurality’ compared with aggregate and set
- 1.1.2Do collective nouns denote pluralities? The concept of internal plurality
- 1.1.3Do plural NPs denote pluralities? The singularist approach
- 1.1.4List of linguistic means available to denote pluralities of entities
1.2Advantages of a semantic /plurality/ feature over the /number/ feature
1.3Why take collective nouns as a starting point?
- 1.3.1Collective nouns as the problematic backbone of references to pluralities
- 1.3.2A long tradition of deceptively simple descriptions in grammars and dictionaries
- 1.3.3A number of unsolved issues in recent studies
- 1.3.4Leading questions for this volume
1.4A preliminary list of pre-requisites for collective nouns
- 1.4.1A relation between units and a collective whole
- 1.4.2A plurality resulting from a grouping operation
- 1.4.3A specific type of part/whole relation
  - 1.4.3.1Unprototypical meronymy
  - 1.4.3.2Collective wholes distinguished from particulate masses
  - 1.4.3.3Meronymy distinguished from taxonomy, despite the shared notion of members
- 1.4.4A /plurality/ feature at lexical level – from whole sense to facet of meaning
1.5Outline of the book
Notes