universal packagerとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源

Compound of universal +‎ packager; first used in print in 1986 by Emmon Bach (see quote below) modeled on universal grinder.

名詞

universal packager

1. (linguistics) A mechanism whereby uncountable nouns are made countable by grouping into units.
   • 1986 February, Emmon Bach, “The Algebra of Events”, in Linguistics and Philosophy, volume 9, numbers 1, Tense and Aspect in Discourse, page 10:

     Moreover, the opposite switch occurs as well: muds = 'kinds of mud', ice-creams = 'portions of ice cream' (Universal Packager).

   • 1999, Hana Filip, Aspect, Eventuality Types, and Nominal Reference, New York: Garland, →ISBN, page 62:

     Similarly, the "Universal Packager" does not seem to be 'universal', but rather it appears to be largely restricted to foodstuffs, as Fillmore and Kay (1994: ch. 3, p. 29) observe.

使用する際の注意点

A related semantic mechanism, the universal sorter, also creates countable nouns. The universal sorter mechanism creates an abstract noun (e.g. wines in the sense of "kinds of wine"); the universal packager can indicate a concrete noun (e.g. coffees in the sense of "cups of coffee").

関連する語

• universal grinder
• universal sorter