This parameter considers the strategies that languages employ to mark intermediate grammatical number on personal pronouns (PP). Intermediate refers to those grammatical numbers between singular and plural, such as dual (two), trial (three), and paucal (few).[1]
In terms of typological classification, PPs are considered to be independent pronouns that can serve as a subject. All three persons should be taken into consideration. This parameter examines intermediate numbers mainly with respect to the plural and to other intermediate numbers. A number of other restrictions may also apply.[2]
Types:
NoPP: Independent PPs that can replace the subject do not exist.
PPIndiffNum: PPs can only express person, not number.[3]
NoPPMedNum: Number marking on PPs only distinguishes singular and plural. (Intermediate variants are not present.)
NeutrPPSyntAff: PPs have neutral pronominal stems[4] and use synthetic affixation (i.e., the morphological expression of number and person occurs simultaneously).
SyntPP: PPs have a synthetic stem (i.e., the morphological expression of number and person occurs simultaneously), and the expression of different numbers within the same person does not display internal flexion. (As always, languages should be considered from a synchronic perspective.)
SyntFlexPP: PPs have a synthetic stem (i.e., the morphological expression of number and person occurs simultaneously), and the expression of different numbers within the same person displays internal flexion. [5]
SyntPPSpecAff: PPs have a synthetic stem (i.e., the morphological expression of number and person occurs simultaneously) and use a special pronominal number marker.
SyntPPNonspecAff: PPs have a synthetic stem (i.e., the morphological expression of number and person occurs simultaneously) and use a general (nominal) number marker.
PersPPSpecAff: PPs use the same stem for variants within a given person, as well as a special pronominal number marker.
PersPPNonspecAff: PPs use the same stem for variants within a given person, as well as a general (nominal) number marker.
Dupl: Formation of an intermediate-number PP involves the complete or partial reduplication of the corresponding singular or plural PP.
Ton: The intermediate-number PP is distinguished from its corresponding singular or plural PP only by a tonal distinction.
When a language displays more than one type of marking, two values can be listed. If one type is dominant, [6] a slash (/) can separate the two values, with the dominant value appearing first; if neither is dominant, the two are listed with an ampersand (&) separating the two.
[1] Such options are not available in all languages.
[2] Other restrictions should be detailed in the commentary. These may include a split system, in which the PP constitutes a different type in oblique cases than it does in nominative. If this occurs, only the nominative should be considered. Another possibility is for multiple variants of PPs, such as formal and familiar, to exist within the same person and number. In such cases, the least marked form should be considered.
[3] Number is determined based on contextual or pragmatic cues.
[4] The stem only makes it clear that the word is a PP, without specifying of person or number.
[5] It should be noted in the commentary whether this internal flexion is based on the plural or another intermediate number.
[6] For example, if the parameter values for either two of the grammatical persons are the same as opposed to the different value for the further one.