Name number - Name number

It usually refers to a word that has a number with the name of a unit or a suffix (numeral particle) that indicates a way of counting things, such as "3 meters," "500 yen," "700 people," "9 sticks," and "1000 feathers." In particular, things used as social customs, such as "books" used to count long, thin objects and "feathers" used to count birds, are sometimes organized and registered as nominal numbers, in which case they are used synonymously with "ways of counting things." However, units of weights and measures and currency are distinguished from "ways of counting things." The "ways of counting things," which are used to add numbers according to the characteristics of living things and substances, developed under the influence of Chinese and became one of the characteristics of the Japanese language, passing on as common social knowledge.

In addition, words with specific meanings that are always accompanied by a number, such as "the three crows," "the four heavenly kings," "the seven gods of good fortune," "the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches," etc., are sometimes called "name numbers." In ancient Chinese classics, it was also used to mean "family register" and "personal register."

[Giant Forest]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

普通「3メートル」「500円」「700人」「9本」「1000羽」などのように、ある数に単位の名称や、ものの数え方を表す接尾辞（助数詞）をつけた語をさしていう。とくに、細長いものを数えるときに用いる「本」、鳥などを数えるときに用いる「羽」など、社会的習慣として用いられるものを名数として整理・登録することがあり、この場合は「ものの数え方」と同義に用いられる。ただし、いわゆる度量衡、貨幣の単位などは「ものの数え方」とは区別される。生物、物質の特徴によって数値の下に添える「ものの数え方」は、中国語の影響を受けて発達したもので、日本語の特徴の一つとなり、社会常識の一つとして伝承された。

　また「三羽烏(がらす)」「四天王」「七福神」「十干(じっかん)十二支」などのように、いつもある数をつけていう特定の内容をもった語を名数ということがある。古く漢籍では「戸籍」「人別帳」の意味にも用いられた。

［林　巨樹］

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