THE CATEGORY OF NUMBER IN THE SHARI DIALECT OF THE KAITAG LANGUAGE (A GROUP OF THE DARGIN LANGUAGES)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the study of the category of number peculiarities in the Shari dialect nouns of the Kaitag language (Dargin branch of the Nakh-Dagestanian languages). The purpose of the study is to describe various groups of nouns, which differ in their forms of number expression – singular or plural. Uncountable nouns, quasi-nouns, nouns of the Singularia tantum and Pluralia tantum classes, and also singular and plural forms are considered. The main attention is paid to the study of formation of plural forms of nouns by means of suffixation. To study these issues, the methods of synchronous and comparative analysis are used. As a result of the study, the elements indicating plurality that function in the Shari language are revealed and rules of their adding to nouns are described. In perspective the research results will be used in forming a comparative historical grammar of the Dargin languages.