Arabic Numeral Gender ( Concept )
http://purl.org/linguistics/gold/ArabicNumeralGender


Thing
      |_ Abstract
            |_ Linguistic Property
                  |_ Morphosyntactic Property
                        |_ Gender Property
                              |_ Arabic Numeral Gender

Definition:

A labeling convention for gender categories. Arabic numerals are often used for languages for which there is a descriptive tradition involving use of the term 'noun class' instead of 'gender', in particular in languages of the Caucasus or Bantu languages; If the 'noun classes' are involved in agreement systems, they are gender systems. Arabic numerals may also be used in instances where another label is possible. For instance, in one language the gender to which nouns with human denotation are assigned might be called 'human', whereas in another language nouns with a similar denotation may be assigned to a gender with an arbitrary Arabic numerical label such as '1'. [Kibort and Corbett 2008a]



+ submit an example Examples
Language Code: kiu The affix kũ- in the first example may be used to mark either Hodiernal Past or Hodiernal Future depending on what aspect markers co-occur with it in the verb.
2009-06-04 13:28:06
Kamaua-kũ-nyu-aũcũrũ
Kamau2.SG-HOD.FUT-drink14.porridge
Kamau will drink porridge (within the day)

References:
Mugane (1997)

Language Code: fuv In Nigerian Fulfulde, the active voice is associated with transitivity, when the action is performed by an agent (subject) on another participant (object), or with intransitivity.
2009-06-04 13:28:06
mi-ronnd-ii-ma
1-load-ACT-2
I put a head- load on you.

References:
McIntosh (1984:109)

Language Code: heb Masculine and feminine cardinal numerals usually go with masculine and feminine nouns, respectively. These nouns may be explicit or just implied.
2009-06-04 13:28:06
bikʃuxamiʃatikimve-hevénuʃiʃa
asked.3.PL5.Mbags.Mbrought.1.PL6.M
They asked for 5 bags and we brought 6.

References:
Glinert (1989:80-81)

Language Code: kiu The affix kũ- in the first example may be used to mark either Hodiernal Past or Hodiernal Future depending on what aspect markers co-occur with it in the verb. Also, in the examples above, the final vowel of each verb is phonological, hence there is no correspondent for it in the interlinear gloss.
2009-06-04 13:28:06
Kamaua-rĩĩ-nyu-aũcũrũ
Kamau2.SG-REM.FUT-drink14.porridge
Kamau will drink porridge (sometime beyond a few days from now)

References:
Mugane (1997)


PropertiesValuesDefinition

+ submit an issue User Submitted Issues
Status: Approved Is this an actual "descriptive" concept? - Jeff Good
2011-03-24 18:43:28

Arabic Numerals are a labeling convention for genders, but I'm not sure they are a genuine linguistic concept. In some cases, they may be used for something like "semantically arbitrary gender". In others, they might simply be an abbreviation for some other kind of gender. The definition even says this is just a labeling convention. I'm not sure labeling conventions belong in GOLD in the first place. But, even if they do, such a "gender" should probably not be put in the same category as, say, FeminineGender.

I would suggest getting rid of "label" genders (including RomanNumeralGender) and, perhaps, including "ArbitraryGender", or something like that for cases where the number is used because there's otherwise no clear semantic label for the gender.