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Partitive measure nouns
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A partitive measure noun like klomp lot is non-referential and not concrete. It exclusively and directly refers to a measure, to quantity. A partitive measure noun construction consists of the following elements from left to right:

  • A partitive measure noun
  • A noun of content description

In the example below, the first noun klomp lot is the measure noun and the second noun lekkergoed sweets is the content noun:

1
'n klomp lekkergoed
a lot tasty.things
a lot of sweets

The measure noun klomp lot does not preserve its concrete, referential meaning in the partitive construction, unlike a referential noun like boks box, as it does not refer to a concrete object or form. It merely expresses that a high quantity of something is involved. Hence it is referred to as an abstract measure noun.

Four types of measure nouns may be distinguished, depending on their meaning. The type of measure noun affects the properties of the construction as a whole. Both measure nouns and content nouns have restricted possibilities of modification.

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More details about the partitive measure noun construction can be found by following the corresponding links:

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