Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics

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Collective/Mass Nouns
(1,031 words)

Abstract

Mass nouns (MNs) and collective nouns (CNs) can be defined in opposition to count nouns: semantically speaking, they do not call up the idea of some definite thing with a certain shape or precise limits, and they have homogeneous internal structure, i.e., they are made up of parts which are identical to one another.

Mass nouns (MNs) and collective nouns (CNs) can be defined in opposition to count nouns: semantically speaking, they “do not call up the idea of some definite thing with a certain shape or precise limits” (Jespersen 1924:198) an…

Cite this page
Germana Olga Civilleri, “Collective/Mass Nouns”, in: Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics, General Editor: Georgios K. Giannakis. Consulted online on 20 March 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2214-448X_eagll_SIM_00000430>
First published online: 2013



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