Chinese Names for Integers

TL;DR

This paper explores the historical and linguistic evolution of Chinese number names, highlighting changes in formation, morpheme usage, and the influence of language planning on numeration structure.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the morphological and syntactic changes in Chinese number words from ancient to modern times.

Findings

Evolution of conjunctions in number names

Emergence of alternative morphemes for digit 2

Formation of elliptic number names in contemporary Chinese

Abstract

Chinese names for integers have always used the digits [1] through [9] and a series of decimal pivots starting with [10], [10 2 ], [10 3 ] and [10 4 ]. Changes occurred in the way the compounds [digit][pivot] were concatenated, with the conjunction y{\`o}u until the 3 rd century BCE, then with the term l{\'i}ng, which emerged around the 12 th century CE. The behavior of the morpheme [1] with pivots also evolved. Finally, in Contemporary Chinese, there is a choice between two morphemes for the digit 2 yielding legitimate alternative numerals; and there is the possibility to form elliptic number names which are not meant to be incorporated before classifiers. Some changes in the features of Chinese linguistic numeration were likely the result of language planning; they nevertheless hint at a tension between a tendency to maintain the morphosyntax of number names within the framework of the syntax of quantification versus simplification and shorter numerals.