Functions and Uses of Numeral Classifiers in Upper Necaxa Totonac

Abstract:Upper Necaxa Totonac has a system of numeral classifiers whose semantic categories include classes that select inherent properties of the noun (type of living being, shape, dimension, form) and classes contingent on configuration or arrangement of the nominal referent (roll, bunch, handful). This article explores the etymological origins of numeral classifiers in Upper Necaxa, and the morphosyntactic and semantic functions of the classifier system. The data show that while some classifiers are selected collocationally, the semantic contribution of the classifier morpheme to the noun phrase ranges from semantically adding to nominal reference to merely selecting a feature of the noun.