• Dutch
  • Frisian
  • Saterfrisian
  • Afrikaans
Show all
Modification of content nouns in the numeral partitive construction
quickinfo

The content noun following a numeral may be modified by adjectives, but it may not be modified by a quantifier. It may not be modified by a demonstrative.

readmore

Content nouns following a numeral may be modified in different ways.

i. Modification by adjectives:

The examples below show that the content noun may be pre-modified by adjectives in the numeral partitive construction:

1
a. Drie groot ronde lekkers
three big round sweets
Three big round sweets
b. Drie van die groot ronde lekkers
three PTCL.PTV the big round sweets
Three of the big round sweets

ii. Modification by quantifiers:

The following examples show that the content noun may be modified by the universal quantifier al all, but it must be accompanied by the definite article. The universal quantifier alle all would preferably not be used to modify the content noun in this use:

2
a. ?Drie van alle groot ronde lekkers
three PTCL.PTV all big round sweets
Three big round sweets
b. Drie van al die groot ronde lekkers
Three PTCL.PTV all the big round sweets
Three of all of the big round sweets

iii. Modification by demonstratives:

The content noun may be modified by a demonstrative in case the two nouns are linked by a preposition:

3
a. *drie hierdie lekkers
three these sweets
Three of these sweets
b. Drie van hierdie lekkers
three PTCL.PTV these sweets
Three of these sweets
References
    printreport errorcite