The bases of counting on language: a systematization of the bases of the Brazilian Portuguese numeral system

• Grant number: 23/17997-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Linguistics - Linguistic Theory and Analysis
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula Scher
• Grantee: Fernando Valls Yoshida
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/00602-8 - The morphosyntactic status of Brazilian Portuguese cardinal bases, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

This research project focuses on investigating the proposition that linguistic numeral systems are organized into bases, with a particular emphasis on the study of Brazilian Portuguese numeral system. Bases are commonly utilized in describing and analyzing linguistic numeral systems, and their identification typically involves a combination of mathematical, syntactic, semantic, and morphological properties. Importantly, these properties are often deduced from a narrow empirical domain, specifically cardinal numerals in complex noun phrases. Contemporary specialized literature highlights the need to expand the data coverage and to organize the identification criteria in order to provide a more comprehensive characterization of bases. To contribute to this advancement, the primary objective of this project is to determine the status of bases in verbal counting systems, with a specific focus on a rigorous characterization of the bases of the Brazilian Portuguese numeral system. To achieve this, we propose conducting a systematic literature review initially. This review will be driven by the methodical mapping of the various properties associated with bases in verbal counting systems. Subsequently, this mapping will serve as the foundation for developing tests specifically designed to characterize the Brazilian Portuguese numeral system. The data obtained will be described using a composite model that integrates a Distributed Morphology-based Grammar with a modular perspective on Numeric Cognition. This model accommodates the division of labor between narrow syntax and aspects of the interfaces, separating syntactic, phonological, and semantic-encyclopedic phenomena. Additionally, it addresses the multifaceted nature of numerical concepts, which can be decomposed at least into ordinality, magnitude, and cardinality.