Some Representation Issues Of Category Of Quantity In Kabardino-Circassian Language

Grammatical category of numbers in Kabardino-Circassian language: the main types and ways of their representation

In most languages, including Kabardino-Circassian, the category of quantity is considered within the framework of the problem of the number of noun forms and their meanings, as well as the number forms of other parts of speech. In modern Kabardino-Circassian language, in addition to singular and plural forms, common forms of number and a representative multitude set are used. The singular form, which is used to designate a single object, is expressed by zero affix – тхылъ “book”, ар “he”, and the plural form by the suffix of - хэ – тхылъ хэ р “books”, а хэ р “they”.

There are constructions in the meaning of which the semantics of quantity is present in Kabardino-Circassian language, however, no such numerical oppositions as: цIыхум ж е Iэ “a man speaks” and цIыхум ж а Iэ “people speak” exist. In combination with the personal singular form, these forms indicate a single object; in combination with the personal form of the plural - multiplicity of objects. Similar constructions in Kabardino-Circassian language refer to the total number . The nouns of the total number are also combined with possessive forms of the singular and plural: фызым и хьэл ( и – possessive form of the singular) “character of a woman”; фызым я хьэл ( я – possessive form of the plural) “character of women”.

Collective nouns that can be used in the form of both singular and plural are distinguished into a separate group, but the absence of the suffix of plural - хэ does not deprive them of the semantics of multitude. джэдкъаз хэ р = джэдкъаз “domestic birds”.

Representative multitude is expressed in two ways:

а) combination of personal names with the morpheme of plural -хэ. The plural form indicates a plurality of men, the representatives is a person indicated by a personal name: Анзорхэ я унэ lit.: “house of the Anzors”, that is “a house that belongs to the Anzor family”.

б) a combination of personal names with the element of “сымэ”. This combination indicates the named person among the group of people: Аслъэн сымэ “Aslan and others”, “the group, Aslan’s company” (Bizhoev, 2005).

Features of quantitative semantics of numerals

Most parts of speech are characterized by quantitative semantics; however, the center of the category of quantity should be considered as numerals in modern languages. In linguistic relation, numeral is the class of full-valued words denoting the number, amount, measure, and number-related mental categories of order in counting, multiplicity (repeatability), aggregate.

In Kabardino-Circassian language, numerals are divided into:

quantitative ( зы “one”, блы “seven”, пщIы “ten”) and etc.

ordinal ( ебланэ “seventh”, епщIанэ “tenth”) and etc.

multiple ( тхуэ “five times”, блэ “seven times”) and etc.

fractional ( тхуанэ “one fifth”, плIанэ “one fourth”) and etc.

dividing ( блырыбл “by seven”, тхурытху “by five”) and etc.

multiple-dividing ( блэрыблэ “by seven times”, тхуэрытхуэ “by five times”) and etc.

The varieties of cardinal numbers, denoting the combination of something, most often individuals are known in in Kabardino-Circassian. A means of creating a collective meaning is a conjunctional suffix -ри, -рикI: щы “three” – щырикI “all three”, плIы “four” – плIырикI “all four”.

It is advisable to allocate so-called layered numerals in particular category that are conventionally referred to the category of numerals, but have grammatical features of adjectives, due to the fact that the subject feature value prevails over the value of number in such forms: защIэ “single”, тIуащIэ “double” and etc.

It was not just an account made with the help of the names of numbers, but the processes of knowledge of the world, national self-knowledge and self-expression were carried out. The objective and universal semantics of quantity is transformed in a specific linguistic consciousness and acquires culturally determined evaluative meanings (Makerova, 2013). All indicated numerals mainly serve as a designation of a specific number: етхуанэ унэ “fifth house”, унэм и Iыхьэ плIанэ “one fourth of the house”, шибл (noun шы “horse”+ numerals блы seven) “seven horses”, унипщI “ten houses” and etc. It should be noted that the lexical units of the type шибл “seven horses”, унипщI “ten houses” and others do not function in Kabardino-Circassian language as independent lexical units. Their joint writing is due to the spelling norms of the modern Kabardino-Circassian language.

There is a considerable number of words with a numbered component fixed at the base in the lexical fund of Kabardino-Circassian language. These words are independent linguistic and linguoculturological significant units: вэрэвий ( вэн “plow”+interfix of - ры + вы “ox”+ и “eight”) “team of eight oxen harnessed in pairs into one plow”, витIмэшхьэсэ ( вы “ox”+ тIу “two”+ мэш “seeding millet”+ хьэсэ “plot of arable land”) “plot of land allocated to two united families”, вакIуэщпэкIу ( вакIуэ “plowing”+ щыпэ “first”+ кIуэн “go”) “a man plowing for the first time”, джатэпэрыжэ ( джатэ “sword”+ пэ “first”+interfix of -ры + жэн “run”) “a man first to attack”, Вагъуэзэшибл ( вагъуэ “star”+ зэш “brothers” + блы “seven”) “Big Dipper Constellation” (lit.: seven brothers of stars), бзитIщхьитI ( бзэ “tongue”+ тIу “two”+ щхьэ “head”+ тIу “two”) “two-faced” (lit.: with two tongues and with two heads).

The number of actions is transmitted in Kabardino-Circassian language by a combination of verbs and multiple numbers: тхуэ кIуэн “go five times”.

When analyzing the ways of transmitting numerals of quantitative semantics, we should pay attention to the fact that numerals lose their concrete-quantitative meaning in some cases and act as indicators of the semantics of multitude or, on the contrary, a small number. Гъуэншэдж зэпэгъуанибл “trousers with lots of holes”, lit.: (trousers with seven holes on all sides). This statement is most distinctly and clearly confirmed when analyzing the stable expressions of Kabardino-Circassian language: псалъитI я щхьэ зэтричыркъым ≈ speaks little (lit.: a couple of words will not say). жьибгъукIэ псэлъэн ≈ speak unnecessary things (lit. speak by nine mouths), витI-жэмитI унагъуэ poor household, family with low incomes (lit.: family with two oxen and two cows). In some cases, a composite quantitative, numerical component does not serve as an indicator of the quantitative semantics of a lexical unit: гуитIщхьитI “indecisive” (lit.: with two hearts and two heads, гумащIэ “kind-hearted” (lit.: with a small heart).

The lexical fund of Kabardino-Circassian language with general semantics of “quantity”

The objects of reality can exist both in a single quantity, in a multitude and in an insignificant, small quantity. The quantitative category in linguistics can be transferred by different grammatical and lexical means. The grammatical number is only one of the many ways of designation of the category of quantity in Kabardino-Circassian language. A means of transmitting the semantics of multitude and the singularity and a small number can be not only the numerals.

Lexical units with quantitative semantics can be divided into several semantic groups in Kabardino-Circassian language: lexical units with semantics of singularity, lexical units with semantics of “small quantity”, lexical units with semantics of “large quantity”, lexical units with semantics of “approximate quantity”.

It is permissible to consider lexical units with the meaning of measure, weight, size, and distance as individual categories of quantitative semantics.

The means of transmitting the semantics of singularity are lexical units with a composite component зы “one”, закъуэ “one”, “single”, “the only one”. Single and one are the beginning of a number series and, therefore, denote the smallest value. The smallest number, acquiring life forms, can exceed in value the end of an infinite digital series that goes along the line of increasing quantities and becomes invaluable (Arutiunova, 2005): Къуэ закъуэрэ нэ закъуэрэ “Both the only son, and the only eye”.

The semantics of an insignificant, small amount is transmitted by lexical units related to different parts of speech in Kabardino-Circassian language. They are represented in sufficient; the lexical unit is the semantic core of this field мащIэ “little”. Consider some examples of lexical units with the meaning of “small quantity”: жун particle “not a mite”, зымащIэ adverb “a little, little”, зытIэкIу adverb “a little, little”, зытIэкIукIэ adverb “a little bit”, мащIи-куэда adverb “none”. This semantic group includes words with the general meaning “rarely” зэзэмызэ adverb “occasionally”, зэзэмызэххэ adverb “very rarely” and etc.

The semantics of a large number is also represented by lexical units of various grammatical affiliations in Kabardino-Circassian language. The word куэд adverb “a lot” can be considered the semantic core of this field. Let us give some examples of lexical units with common semantics of “multitude”: зыкъом adverb “quite a lot”, гуэрэн noun “accumulation of somebody, something”, Iэджэ adverb “many”. As in many other cultural traditions and languages, the numerals щэ “one hundred” and мин ”one thousand” serve as indicators of a huge quantity and are used as a composite component of health wishing speech to express the wishes of longevity in Kabardino-Circassian language: Илъэсищэ гъащIэ! “Living a hundred years” , Гъэ мин гъащIэ! “Living a thousand years” (Khezheva, 2018).

The semantics of approximate number is transmitted with the help of certain lexical means of adverbs and numerals in Kabardino-Circassian language. зыбжанэ adverb “some”, зытIощырыпщI “about twenty thirty”, зыхбл “about six seven”, зыбгъупщI “about nine ten” and etc.

Affixal way of transfer of quantitative semantics in Kabardino-Circassian language.

Being a reflection of the basic laws of objective reality, the categories of quality and quantity reveal a close relationship with each other, indicating the close relationship of all phenomena of objective reality as a whole (Fediaeva, 2016).

The quantitative semantics is found in adjectives formed using synonymous suffixes of -нитIэ, -жьей, making a diminutive tint to the semantics: цIыкIу “small” цIыкIунитIэ “tiny”, цIыкIужьей “very small”.

Inclination, susceptibility to something, frequency of repeatability of something is represented by suffixes: -лэ: узылэ “often sick”, -рилэ : дыхьэшхрилэ “laughing a lot”, -ринэ : гъыринэ “much crying”, -нэд : жейнэд “much sleeping”, “loving to sleep”, -рей: дыхьэшхырей “much laughing”.

By adding the suffix -рей relative adjectives are formed from ordinal numbers, expressing the relation to the number: ебланэрей “seventh”.

Suffix -фIэ is the antonym of the suffix -ншэ and form adjectives that indicate the presence or absence of what is indicated by the manufacturing base: къарууфIэ “strong, having a lot of strength”, къаруншэ “weak, having no strength”.