• Dutch
  • Frisian
  • Afrikaans
Show full table of contents
    Agreement
    quickinfo

    Measure nouns do not determine agreement on the verb if they are in the singular. In case they are in the plural, they do determine agreement on the verb, but then they seem to be individuated. Measure nouns preceded by a numeral tend to not determine agreement on the verb, unless the measure noun is individuated.

    readmore

    Nouns of high and low quantity do not determine agreement on the verb. This is illustrated below for a noun of a high quantity:

    Example 1

    a. In soad minsken laken
    a lot.SG people.PL laughed.PL
    A lot of people laughed
    b. *In soad minsken lake
    a lot.SG people.PL laughed.SG
    A lot of people laughed

    The same fact is illustrated below for a noun of low quantity:

    Example 2

    a. Der wennen sa'n bytsje minsken yn Almere
    there lived.PL such.a bit.SG people.PL in Almere
    There lived so few people in Almere
    b. In pear minsken laken
    a few.SG people.PL laughed.PL
    A few people laughed
    c. *In pear minsken lake
    a few.SG people.PL laughed.SG
    A few people laughed

    Plural measure nouns do determine agreement on the verb, but in that case they seem to have become referential:

    Example 3

    Der leine lytse bytsjes oer de flier
    there lay.PL little bits on the floor
    Little bits lay on the floor

    Nouns of exact quantity do not determine agreement on the verb in case they are preceded by a numeral:

    Example 4

    a. Der lei in kilo apels op tafel
    there lay.SG a kilo.SG apples.PL on table
    There was a kilo of apples on the table
    b. Der lei twa kilo apels op tafel
    there lay.SG two kilo.SG apples.PL on table
    Two kilos of apples were on the table

    In the examples above, the content noun does not determine agreement either. The construction is usually singular in the presence of a numeral, although some speakers allow a plural in case the content noun is plural and in case the measure noun can be individuated:

    Example 5

    ?Der leine twa kilo apels op tafel
    there lay.PL two kilo.SG apples.PL on table
    There were two kilos of apples on the table

    It is the content noun which is responsible for plural agreement, not the (plural) numeral. If the plural content noun is replaced with a singular one, then agreement must be singular:

    Example 6

    a. *Der leine twa kilo bûter op tafel
    there lay.PL two kilo.SG butter.SG on table
    There were two kilos of butter on the table
    b. Der lei twa kilo bûter op tafel
    there lay.SG two kilo.SG butter.SG on table
    There were two kilos of butter on the table

    If the numeral is absent, the measure noun can be pluralised and determines agreement on the verb:

    Example 7

    Der leine kilo's bûter op tafel
    there lay.PL kilo.PL nutter.SG on table
    There were kilos of butter on the table

    Some measure nouns are not pluralised after numerals, whereas others are. For example, kilo kilo, jier year and gûne florin are not pluralised after numerals, whereas dei day and sint cent are. Diminutives of measure nouns are always pluralised.

    [hide extra information]
    x
    Literature

    More details can be found in Hoekstra (1988).

    References:
    • Hoekstra, Jarich1988Twa kilo sipelsFriesch Dagblad13-12Taalsnipels 64
    ABOUT THIS TOPIC
    Author(s):
    Eric Hoekstra
    Category:
    Frisian Syntax
    Publication date:
    14 May 2020
    Keywords:
    measure nounagreement
    cite
    print
    report error
    Jump to:
    X