o a class of notional words with two parallel sets – Cardinal and Ordinal Numerals
o General semantics:
- Cardinal Numerals express the idea of an abstract number
- Ordinal Numerals express the idea of the order of things in succession
o Morphologically unchangeable = have no formal morphological markers
! Cardinal Numerals should not be confused with Nouns with numerical meaning
o Syntactic functions:
– the Attribute
à) in preposition to a noun
b) in postposition to some nouns: Cardinal Numerals in postposition to nouns which denote items within a set of things; Ordinal Numerals in postposition to certain proper names (e.g. dynasties)
- if they are used as Noun-substitutes they can function as
- Subject
- Object
- Predicative
- Adverbial of time