Learners of most languages are faced with the task of acquiring
words to talk about number and quantity. Much is known about
the order of acquisition of number words as well as the cognitive
and perceptual systems and cultural practices that shape it. Substantially
less is known about the acquisition of quantifiers. Here, we
consider the extent to which systems and practices that support
number word acquisition can be applied to quantifier acquisition and
conclude that the two domains are largely distinct in this respect.
Consequently, we hypothesize that the acquisition of quantifiers is
constrained by a set of factors related to each quantifier’s specific
meaning. We investigate competence with the expressions for “all,”
“none,” “some,” “some…not,” and “most” in 31 languages, representing
11 language types, by testing 768 5-y-old children and 536
adults. We found a cross-linguistically similar order of acquisition of
quantifiers, explicable in terms of four factors rela...ting to their meaning
and use. In addition, exploratory analyses reveal that languageand
learner-specific factors, such as negative concord and gender, are
significant predictors of variation.
Keywords:
language acquisition / universals / quantifiers / semantics / pragmatics
Source:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 2016, 113, 33, 9244-9249
Publisher:
National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Funding / projects:
This research was funded by European Cooperation in Science and Technology Action A33 “Cross-Linguistically Robust Stages of Children’s Linguistic Performance.” In addition, N.K., C.C., and I.N. were supported by the European Science Foundation Euro-XPrag Network; N.K., C.C., and N.S. were supported by the United Kingdom Economic and Social Research Council XPrag-UK Network; N.K. was supported by United Kingdom British Academy Grant SG090676; A.G. was supported by Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Project FFI2014-56968-C4-1; A.G. and K.K.G. were supported by University of Cyprus Project 8037-61017; K.J.d.L. and L.S. were supported by Danish Council for Independent Research (Humanities) Grant 09-063957; M. Vija and S.Z. were supported by Estonian Science Foundation Grant ETF7492 and Estonian Research Council Grant SF0180056s08; K.Y. and U.S. were supported by European Commission for Education and Culture Grant 135295-LLP-2007-UK-KA1SCR and German Federal Ministry of Education and Research Grant 01UG0711; A.A. and J.v.K.T. were supported by a grant from the L. Meltzers Høyskolefond; E.H. and A.M. were supported by Grant 809/N-COST/2010/0 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and National Science Centre; and D.A., M.S., and S.J. were supported by Grant ON179033 (2011-2014) from the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development.
TY - JOUR
AU - Katsos, Napoleon
AU - Cummins, Chris
AU - Ezeizabarrena, Maria-José
AU - Gavarró, Anna
AU - Kuvač Kraljević, Jelena
AU - Hržica, Gordana
AU - Grohmann, Kleanthes K.
AU - Skordi, Athina
AU - Jensen de López, Kristine
AU - Sundahl, Lone
AU - Van Hout, Angeliek
AU - Hollebrandse, Bart
AU - Overweg, Jessica
AU - Faber, Myrthe
AU - Van Koert, Margreet
AU - Smith, Nafsika
AU - Vija, Maigi
AU - Zupping, Sirli
AU - Kunnari, Sari
AU - Morisseau, Tiffany
AU - Rusieshvili, Manana
AU - Yatsushiro, Kazuko
AU - Fengler, Anja
AU - Varlokosta, Spyridoula
AU - Konstantzou, Katerina
AU - Farby, Shira
AU - Guasti, Maria Teresa
AU - Vernice, Mirta
AU - Okabe, Reiko
AU - Isobe, Miwa
AU - Crosthwaite, Peter
AU - Hong, Yoonjee
AU - Balčiūnienė, Ingrida
AU - Nizar, Yanti Marina Ahmad
AU - Grech, Helen
AU - Gatt, Daniela
AU - Cheong, Win Nee
AU - Asbjornsen, Arve
AU - Torkildsen, Janne von Koss
AU - Haman, Ewa
AU - Miekisz, Aneta
AU - Gagarina, Natalia
AU - Puzanova, Julia
AU - Anđelković, Darinka
AU - Savić, Maja
AU - Jošić, Smiljana
AU - Slancova, Daniela
AU - Kapalkova, Svetlana
AU - Barberan, Tania
AU - Ozge, Duygu
AU - Hassan, Saima
AU - Chan, Cecilia Yuet Hung
AU - Okubo, Tomoya
AU - Van der Lely, Heather
AU - Sauerland, Uli
AU - Noveck, Ira
PY - 2016
UR - http://reff.f.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/4625
AB - Learners of most languages are faced with the task of acquiring
words to talk about number and quantity. Much is known about
the order of acquisition of number words as well as the cognitive
and perceptual systems and cultural practices that shape it. Substantially
less is known about the acquisition of quantifiers. Here, we
consider the extent to which systems and practices that support
number word acquisition can be applied to quantifier acquisition and
conclude that the two domains are largely distinct in this respect.
Consequently, we hypothesize that the acquisition of quantifiers is
constrained by a set of factors related to each quantifier’s specific
meaning. We investigate competence with the expressions for “all,”
“none,” “some,” “some…not,” and “most” in 31 languages, representing
11 language types, by testing 768 5-y-old children and 536
adults. We found a cross-linguistically similar order of acquisition of
quantifiers, explicable in terms of four factors relating to their meaning
and use. In addition, exploratory analyses reveal that languageand
learner-specific factors, such as negative concord and gender, are
significant predictors of variation.
PB - National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
T2 - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)
T1 - Cross-linguistic patterns in the acquisition of quantifiers
EP - 9249
IS - 33
SP - 9244
VL - 113
DO - 10.1073/pnas.1601341113
ER -
@article{
author = "Katsos, Napoleon and Cummins, Chris and Ezeizabarrena, Maria-José and Gavarró, Anna and Kuvač Kraljević, Jelena and Hržica, Gordana and Grohmann, Kleanthes K. and Skordi, Athina and Jensen de López, Kristine and Sundahl, Lone and Van Hout, Angeliek and Hollebrandse, Bart and Overweg, Jessica and Faber, Myrthe and Van Koert, Margreet and Smith, Nafsika and Vija, Maigi and Zupping, Sirli and Kunnari, Sari and Morisseau, Tiffany and Rusieshvili, Manana and Yatsushiro, Kazuko and Fengler, Anja and Varlokosta, Spyridoula and Konstantzou, Katerina and Farby, Shira and Guasti, Maria Teresa and Vernice, Mirta and Okabe, Reiko and Isobe, Miwa and Crosthwaite, Peter and Hong, Yoonjee and Balčiūnienė, Ingrida and Nizar, Yanti Marina Ahmad and Grech, Helen and Gatt, Daniela and Cheong, Win Nee and Asbjornsen, Arve and Torkildsen, Janne von Koss and Haman, Ewa and Miekisz, Aneta and Gagarina, Natalia and Puzanova, Julia and Anđelković, Darinka and Savić, Maja and Jošić, Smiljana and Slancova, Daniela and Kapalkova, Svetlana and Barberan, Tania and Ozge, Duygu and Hassan, Saima and Chan, Cecilia Yuet Hung and Okubo, Tomoya and Van der Lely, Heather and Sauerland, Uli and Noveck, Ira",
year = "2016",
abstract = "Learners of most languages are faced with the task of acquiring
words to talk about number and quantity. Much is known about
the order of acquisition of number words as well as the cognitive
and perceptual systems and cultural practices that shape it. Substantially
less is known about the acquisition of quantifiers. Here, we
consider the extent to which systems and practices that support
number word acquisition can be applied to quantifier acquisition and
conclude that the two domains are largely distinct in this respect.
Consequently, we hypothesize that the acquisition of quantifiers is
constrained by a set of factors related to each quantifier’s specific
meaning. We investigate competence with the expressions for “all,”
“none,” “some,” “some…not,” and “most” in 31 languages, representing
11 language types, by testing 768 5-y-old children and 536
adults. We found a cross-linguistically similar order of acquisition of
quantifiers, explicable in terms of four factors relating to their meaning
and use. In addition, exploratory analyses reveal that languageand
learner-specific factors, such as negative concord and gender, are
significant predictors of variation.",
publisher = "National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",
journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)",
title = "Cross-linguistic patterns in the acquisition of quantifiers",
pages = "9249-9244",
number = "33",
volume = "113",
doi = "10.1073/pnas.1601341113"
}
Katsos, N., Cummins, C., Ezeizabarrena, M., Gavarró, A., Kuvač Kraljević, J., Hržica, G., Grohmann, K. K., Skordi, A., Jensen de López, K., Sundahl, L., Van Hout, A., Hollebrandse, B., Overweg, J., Faber, M., Van Koert, M., Smith, N., Vija, M., Zupping, S., Kunnari, S., Morisseau, T., Rusieshvili, M., Yatsushiro, K., Fengler, A., Varlokosta, S., Konstantzou, K., Farby, S., Guasti, M. T., Vernice, M., Okabe, R., Isobe, M., Crosthwaite, P., Hong, Y., Balčiūnienė, I., Nizar, Y. M. A., Grech, H., Gatt, D., Cheong, W. N., Asbjornsen, A., Torkildsen, J. v. K., Haman, E., Miekisz, A., Gagarina, N., Puzanova, J., Anđelković, D., Savić, M., Jošić, S., Slancova, D., Kapalkova, S., Barberan, T., Ozge, D., Hassan, S., Chan, C. Y. H., Okubo, T., Van der Lely, H., Sauerland, U.,& Noveck, I.. (2016). Cross-linguistic patterns in the acquisition of quantifiers. in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)
National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America., 113(33), 9244-9249.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1601341113
Katsos N, Cummins C, Ezeizabarrena M, Gavarró A, Kuvač Kraljević J, Hržica G, Grohmann KK, Skordi A, Jensen de López K, Sundahl L, Van Hout A, Hollebrandse B, Overweg J, Faber M, Van Koert M, Smith N, Vija M, Zupping S, Kunnari S, Morisseau T, Rusieshvili M, Yatsushiro K, Fengler A, Varlokosta S, Konstantzou K, Farby S, Guasti MT, Vernice M, Okabe R, Isobe M, Crosthwaite P, Hong Y, Balčiūnienė I, Nizar YMA, Grech H, Gatt D, Cheong WN, Asbjornsen A, Torkildsen JVK, Haman E, Miekisz A, Gagarina N, Puzanova J, Anđelković D, Savić M, Jošić S, Slancova D, Kapalkova S, Barberan T, Ozge D, Hassan S, Chan CYH, Okubo T, Van der Lely H, Sauerland U, Noveck I. Cross-linguistic patterns in the acquisition of quantifiers. in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). 2016;113(33):9244-9249.
doi:10.1073/pnas.1601341113 .
Katsos, Napoleon, Cummins, Chris, Ezeizabarrena, Maria-José, Gavarró, Anna, Kuvač Kraljević, Jelena, Hržica, Gordana, Grohmann, Kleanthes K., Skordi, Athina, Jensen de López, Kristine, Sundahl, Lone, Van Hout, Angeliek, Hollebrandse, Bart, Overweg, Jessica, Faber, Myrthe, Van Koert, Margreet, Smith, Nafsika, Vija, Maigi, Zupping, Sirli, Kunnari, Sari, Morisseau, Tiffany, Rusieshvili, Manana, Yatsushiro, Kazuko, Fengler, Anja, Varlokosta, Spyridoula, Konstantzou, Katerina, Farby, Shira, Guasti, Maria Teresa, Vernice, Mirta, Okabe, Reiko, Isobe, Miwa, Crosthwaite, Peter, Hong, Yoonjee, Balčiūnienė, Ingrida, Nizar, Yanti Marina Ahmad, Grech, Helen, Gatt, Daniela, Cheong, Win Nee, Asbjornsen, Arve, Torkildsen, Janne von Koss, Haman, Ewa, Miekisz, Aneta, Gagarina, Natalia, Puzanova, Julia, Anđelković, Darinka, Savić, Maja, Jošić, Smiljana, Slancova, Daniela, Kapalkova, Svetlana, Barberan, Tania, Ozge, Duygu, Hassan, Saima, Chan, Cecilia Yuet Hung, Okubo, Tomoya, Van der Lely, Heather, Sauerland, Uli, Noveck, Ira, "Cross-linguistic patterns in the acquisition of quantifiers" in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 113, no. 33 (2016):9244-9249,
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1601341113 . .
,