Shvachko S. O., Shumenko O. A. Epidigmatic nature of quantitative words

Abstract

The article in question deals with the evolution of quantitative words (numerals, words of weight
and measure), their emergence and epidigmatic status (formal and semantic deviations). The working
hypothesis is being verified: the language units with common semes undergo similar tendencies. The
category Quantity is considered to be loaded with the common seme “quantity” and subsemes
“number and measure”. The article focuses upon the epidigmatic power of the quantitative units in
the modi of language, speech, and social behavior. Quantitative units are being dealt with on formal
and semantic deviations in frames of paradigmatic and syntagmatic parametres. The empiric facts
have been extracted from the authentic English dictionaries and English literary texts. The touched
upon problem has been analyzed by adequate methods to identify the semantic volume, etymological
sources, historic deviation, polyfunctionality and systematic arrangement of researched units.