Quantifiers in Japanese and Chinese languages

Quantity may be expressed irrespective of number with the help of quantifiers, words used when we indicate quantity of what may be calculated or not calculated and in what way speaker identifies in his mind this or that object and correlates it with extralinguistic reality. Quantifiers impart generic value to the words used with them in one design and make a large group of words that bear heterogeneous properties. The group includes numerals; quantitative names; directly quantifiers (pronouns and adverbs); words and phrases that are not directly associated with quantification (idioms); words which have acquired the quantitative value as a result of the semantic derivation; words indicating duration of time, etc. Selected from Russian-Japanese and Russian-Chinese dictionaries by continuous sampling are universal quantifiers with the value «all», «every», «each», «some» and quantifiers with quantitative meaning «many», «much», «little», «few». Then, we differentiated the minimal semantic compounds in order to find semantically differentiated signs. Using the classification proposed by S. G. Tatevosov there were identified six classes of quantifiers important for the Japanese and the Chinese languages which include values of generality, totality, integrity, aggregate choice and indefinitely large and indefinitely small quantity. On the basis of the analysis of quantifiers with the value of the indefinitely large and indefinitely small quantity, the following conclusion must be drawn. Quantifiers in the agglutinative Japanese language can be found in the position of attribute, adverb and predicate, and can modify the whole sentence as a nominal group (floating quantifiers). Position of attribute is not typical for the Japanese language. The quantifiers in the position of predicate (predicative adjective) can be combined with adverbs of degree. Quantifiers with quantitative meaning in the Japanese language form a system, the core of which is a predicative adjective with the meanings «many, much» and «little, few» that are used as the predicate and form combinations with adverbs of degree. The center is formed with adverbs that can be used both as D- and A-quantifiers. The periphery is formed with quantitative nouns. In the isolating Chinese language, quantifiers can be in position of attribute and predicate. When in the position of the predicate, it can also be combined with adverbs of degree as in the Japanese language. Quantifiers with quantitative meaning create a system which core consists of quantifiers with the meanings «many, much» and «little, few» that are used as the predicate and combine with adverbs of degree. The center is formed with quantifiers in the attributive position that are not combined with adverbs of degree but with quantifier of generality. The periphery is formed with quantifiers occasionally combined with classifiers.