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Updated: Mar 16, 2026
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Published on: October 13, 2018
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Cross-linguistic patterns in the acquisition of quantifiers.
Napoleon Katsos1, Chris Cummins2, Maria-José Ezeizabarrena3
1Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 9DA, United Kingdom; nk248@cam.ac.uk.
Summary
Children acquire quantifiers like "all" and "some" in a predictable order across languages. This language acquisition is mainly driven by the quantifier's meaning, not number word learning systems.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Acquiring number words is well-studied, but quantifier acquisition remains less understood.
- Existing research suggests number word and quantifier acquisition may differ significantly.
- Quantifiers are crucial for expressing quantity and logical relationships in language.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acquisition order of common quantifiers across diverse languages.
- To determine factors influencing quantifier acquisition in young children and adults.
- To compare quantifier acquisition with number word acquisition patterns.
Main Methods:
- Tested 768 5-year-old children and 536 adults across 31 languages (11 types).
- Assessed comprehension of quantifiers: "all," "none," "some," "some…not," and "most."
- Analyzed acquisition order and correlated it with semantic and linguistic factors.
Main Results:
- A consistent cross-linguistic order of quantifier acquisition was observed.
- Four meaning- and use-related factors explain this acquisition order.
- Language-specific factors (e.g., negative concord, gender) also predict variation.
Conclusions:
- Quantifier acquisition is largely distinct from number word acquisition.
- The specific meaning and usage of quantifiers are key drivers of their acquisition.
- Linguistic and learner-specific features introduce variability in quantifier understanding.
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