Numeral Classifiers in Specific Counting Systems: Cultural Context, Linguistic Principles, and Cognitive Implications

Specific counting systems are characterized by a combination of two features: They are based on larger counting units (multiplication function) and apply to certain objects only (object specificity). This paper analyzes the constitutive role that numeral classifiers may play for specific counting systems, with instances from Polynesian and Micronesian languages. Despite a considerable divergence in classifiers, objects of reference, and factors chosen, a common principle can be identified that sheds new light on the numerical context of numeral classifiers and on the question of their cognitive status.