Chapter 18 Lexical Functions: Description of Lexical Relations in a ...

—Chapter 18. Lexical Functions— 40
Syntactically, both are nouns; Sing takes its L (when it does not replace it) as its DSyntA II, and
Mult takes its L as DSyntA I: Sing-II→L, Mult-I→L. 13 L also is a noun, denoting a collectivity/a
set/a substance/a state (in case of Sing) or an object/a person/an event (in case of Mult).
In some languages, the meanings of Sing and Mult are expressible via morphological
elements—grammemes/derivatemes—of singulative and collective.
19. Sing [Lat. singulus (singular, unique)] = singulative
L´ which is a Sing(L) means (one instance/one unit of L); it designates, so to speak, a
‘quantum’ of (L).
Examples
Sing(fleet) ≈ //ship
Sing(sand) = grain [of ~]
Sing(thunderN) = [~]clap [= thunderclap]
20. Mult [Lat. multum (multitude)] = collective
together.
Examples
Sing(air force) ≈ //military aircraft
Sing(anger) = fit, gust [of ~]
Sing(automatic fire) = burst [of ~]
L´ which is a Mult(L) means (an aggregate/a set of Ls); it designates several Ls taken
Mult(ship) ≈ //fleet
Mult(military aircraft) ≈ //air force
Mult(criticism) = barrage, chorus [of ~s]
Mult(wolf) = pack [of ~s]
Mult(lie) = pack [of ~s]
Mult(lion) = pride [of ~s]
LFs 21 and 22 designate two elements important in the structure of an organization or a
team denoted by L—respectively, the ‘boss’ and the ‘personnel.’ These LFs have a rather narrow
sphere of application: their Ls can be only nouns that denote things having a ‘boss’ and a ‘person-
nel.’ Both LFs are nouns and take L as their DSyntA II: Cap−II→L and Equip−II→L.
21. Cap [Lat. caput (head)] = (the head of …)
Examples
Cap(university) = president [of ART ~];
rector [of ART ~]
Cap(tribe) = chief [of ART ~]
Cap(aircraft) = //captain
Cap(department [at a university]) = head, chairman,
chair [of ART ~]
Cap(empire) = //emperor
Cap(catholic church) = //pope