Berber isnin and “Defined Numerals”

This paper deals with “defined” numerals, i.e. numerals used in a context where the number of items is already known, like English ‘both’ (‘the two’). Quantifiers referring to two items like ‘both’ are quite widespread in the languages of the world, and most of the Berber languages, too, possess a word, isnin, which is evidently built on the numeral ‘two’ (sin) and means ‘both’. Nevertheless, some Berber languages also display numerals meaning ‘the three’, ‘the four’ etc. This paper aims at describing such peculiar numerals and at providing a diachronic explanation of their origin. This reconstruction implies the presence of the ancient morphemes of determination that nowadays have been merged into all nouns, losing their original meaning and becoming simple nominal marks.