從心理語言學的觀點試探英語名詞的可數性問題

ENGLISH MASS AND COUNT NOUNS: A PSYCHOLINGUISTIC STUDY

英語中的名詞在傳統上都是從語法的觀點被分為可數名詞及不可數名詞兩大類。但如進一步的從語意和認知兩方面去探討，就不難發現此種二分法並不能解決英語名詞可數性的實際問題。本文係採實驗的方法，試測英語名詞的可數性。實驗中包括十對具體名詞和十對抽象名詞。

All English nouns can be syntactically classified as either count or mass nouns. Nouns such as pen and desk are count nouns, since they possess singular forms, i. e., a pen and a desk as well as plural forms, i. e., two pens and three desks. On the other hand, nouns such as air and butter are mass nouns, since they refer to mass that cannot be individuated. Mass noun do not have plural forms by definition (*three butter is ungrammatical). However, many nouns can be either a count noun or a mass noun depending on the referent. Nouns such hamburger and sausage are count nouns when they refer to individuated entities (such as a hamburger in fast food stores or link sausages), but at the same time are mass nouns when they refer to mass, i. e., meat in a grocery store.