universal packager
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English[edit]
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The term beer is usually uncountable; however, the plural beers can refer to servings of beer or varieties of beer. |
Etymology[edit]
Compound of universal + packager; first used in print in 1986 by Emmon Bach (see quote below) modeled on universal grinder.
Noun[edit]
- (linguistics) A mechanism whereby uncountable nouns are made countable.
- 1986 February, Emmon Bach, “The Algebra of Events”, in Linguistics and Philosophy, volume 9, numbers 1, Tense and Aspect in Discourse, page 10:
- Moreover, the opposite switch occurs as well: muds = 'kinds of mud', ice-creams = 'portions of ice cream' (Universal Packager).
- 1999, Hana Filip, Aspect, Eventuality Types, and Nominal Reference, New York: Garland, →ISBN, page 62:
- Similarly, the "Universal Packager" does not seem to be 'universal', but rather it appears to be largely restricted to foodstuffs, as Fillmore and Kay (1994: ch. 3, p. 29) observe.