numeraldeterminer

Numeral determiner, or numeral determiner, is a term used in grammar to describe a determiner that encodes a numerical value and directly modifies a noun. It is a subcategory of determiners, which also includes articles, demonstratives, possessives, and quantifiers. Numeral determiners indicate quantity or order within a noun phrase.

Numeral determiners can be divided into cardinal and ordinal types. Cardinal numerals express exact quantity, as in one apple, two cars, five days. Ordinal numerals express position or rank, such as first prize, second chapter, third time. In many languages, numerals function as determiners when they appear directly before the head noun, and they may co-occur with other determiners or adjectives in a fixed order.

Syntax and placement in noun phrases vary by language, but in English the usual order is determiner, numeral, adjectives, noun. For example: the two red balloons, where the article the precedes the numeral two, which is followed by the adjective red before the noun balloons. Indefinite and definite marking can combine with numeral determiners in predictable ways (for instance, two cars vs the two cars). Some grammars treat numerals as adjectives rather than determiners, and in certain languages numerals interact with classifiers or measure words, affecting phrase structure and agreement.

Semantics and usage notes: numeral determiners provide precise quantification and are distinct from more general quantifiers such as several or many. They are sensitive to agreement and counting systems in different languages and can behave differently in determiner stacking and noun-phrase ordering.