Numeral Classifiers
Nouns and pronouns · one world map for each value
WALS codes 400 languages for this feature. The most frequent value, “Numeral classifiers are absent”, covers 260 of them (65%); the least frequent, “Numeral classifiers are optional”, covers 62.
That value is most frequent in Australia (100% of the 24 languages coded there) and least frequent in Papunesia (47% of 102).
All 19 Afro-Asiatic languages coded have “Numeral classifiers are absent”.
Austronesian is the most divided, its largest group reaching only 27 of 76.
Numeral classifiers are absent260 languages · 65%
Numeral classifiers are optional62 languages · 16%
Numeral classifiers are obligatory78 languages · 20%
One map per value; each dot is a language WALS codes with that value.
By macro-area
| Value | Africa | Eurasia | Papunesia | Australia | North America | South America |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numeral classifiers are absent | 53 | 50 | 48 | 24 | 48 | 37 |
| Numeral classifiers are optional | 0 | 21 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Numeral classifiers are obligatory | 4 | 31 | 24 | 0 | 12 | 7 |
| All values | 57 | 102 | 102 | 24 | 62 | 53 |
Inside the largest families
| Family | Coded | Most frequent value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austronesian | 76 | Numeral classifiers are optional | 36% |
| Indo-European | 22 | Numeral classifiers are absent | 55% |
| Afro-Asiatic | 19 | Numeral classifiers are absent | 100% |
| Sino-Tibetan | 19 | Numeral classifiers are obligatory | 68% |
| Niger-Congo | 18 | Numeral classifiers are absent | 89% |
| Austro-Asiatic | 14 | Numeral classifiers are optional | 43% |
| Trans-New Guinea | 12 | Numeral classifiers are absent | 100% |
| Arawakan | 10 | Numeral classifiers are absent | 60% |
| Altaic | 9 | Numeral classifiers are absent | 67% |
| Eastern Sudanic | 8 | Numeral classifiers are absent | 88% |
| Pama-Nyungan | 8 | Numeral classifiers are absent | 100% |
| Uto-Aztecan | 8 | Numeral classifiers are absent | 100% |
Languages to explore
The most fully coded languages with each value.