superplural

English

Etymology

super- +‎ plural.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): [ˈsjupəˌplʊəɹəl], [ˈsjupəˌplɔːɹəl]
• (MLE) IPA^(key): [ˈsjypɐˌplʊ̘ˑɹəl]

Noun

superplural (plural superplurals)

1. (grammar and ontology) A number that is even more plural than another plural.

   Synonyms: intensive plural, plural-plural

   • 2008, Øystein Linnebo, David Nicolas, “Superplurals in English”, in Analysis‎^[1], volume 68, number 3, Oxford University Press, pages 186 of 186–197:

     A natural question that arises is whether the step from the singular to the plural can be iterated. Are there terms that stand to ordinary plural terms the way ordinary plural terms stand to singular terms? Let's call such terms superplural. A superplural term would thus, loosely speaking, refer to several ‘pluralities’ at once, much as an ordinary plural term refers to several objects at once. Further, let's call a predicate superplural if it can be predicated of superplural terms.

   • 2008, David Nicolas, “Mass Nouns and Plural Logic”, in Linguistics and Philosophy‎^[2], volume 31, number 2, Springer, pages 225 of 211–244:

     As indicated previously, with Rayo (2002, 2006) and Williamson (2003), we hold that absolute unrestricted quantification is genuinely possible. Therefore, we do not follow McKay and Yi. Rayo (2006) develops and alternative that allows for absolutely unrestricted quantification. It consists in using languages that contain not only plural terms, but also terms that are “superplural”, “super-superplural”, etc. […] in order to specify the truth-conditions of sentences containing mass nouns and plurals, we will need to be able to refer to several “pluralities”. We will do so using superplural terms.

   • 2013, Gonzalo Rodriguez-Pereyra, “Resemblance Nominalism, Conjunctions and Truthmakers”, in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, New Series‎^[3], volume 113, Oxford University Press, pages 30 footnote 10 of 21–38:

     The considerations presented in this paper generalize, and should therefore support the view that the truthmaking predicate can take plural predicates of any order (possibly including infinite order), that is, not just superplural arguments, but also super-superplural arguments, and so on. It should also be noted that they also support the view that the truth-making predicate takes plural predicates of 'mixed order'. For instance, what makes (Aristotle exists and Socrates resembles Plato) true is Aristotle together with Socrates and Plato together. ‘Aristotle together with Socrates and Plato together’ (or 'Aristotle and (Socrates and Plato)') would be a superplural expression of 'mixed order', since it is obtained combining a singular and a first-order plural expression. I am indebted to Øystein Linnebo for alerting me to the points in this footnote.

   • 2016, Alex Oliver, Timothy Smiley, “8.4 Superplurals”, in Plural Logic. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 138:

     We can avoid total immersion, however, by confining ourselves to the phenomena that are expressible in our mother tongue. Everyone knows that it is not adequate to the apparatus of superplural quantification, since it has no superplural forms of pronouns or common nouns, no ‘theys’ and ‘thems’ to follow ‘they’ and ‘them’, and no ‘thingss’ or ‘mens’ to follow ‘things’ and ‘men’.

   • 2020, Ghil'ad Zuckermann, Revivalistics. From the Genesis of Israeli to Language Reclamation in Australia and Beyond, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 227:

     Barngarla has singualar, dual, plural and what I call superplural. Consider the following: mína ‘eye’, mínalbili ‘two eyes’, mínarri ‘eyes’ and mínailyarranha ‘heaps of eyes’.

Related terms

• superpluralism
• superplurality