How to phraseologize nominal number

Abstract

Lithuanian nouns inflect for singular and plural. However, a subset of deverbal nouns with nominalizer –yb- deviate from the pattern. Some nouns inflect just for singular. Other nouns inflect just for plural. The contrast in these deverbal nouns is due to (i) heterogeneity of the verbs that -yb- attaches to; (ii) idiomaticity of inflectional nominal number. Chapter 13 argues that the fixed number specifications on the non-ambiguous cases are instances of morpheme level idiomaticity. The data and the discussion bear on whether the commonly assumed distinction between derivation and inflection holds.