Quantifier-Specific Usage Patterns Shape Learning—A Corpus Analysis on Universal Quantifiers in English and Dutch Child-Directed Language

Quantifiers specify semantic relations between sentence constituents. Due to their abstract meanings, they form a learning challenge for children. This challenge is made more difficult by the fact that different universal quantifiers instantiate slightly different meanings. We investigated what evidence is available in the input that might help children learn the meaning of universal quantifiers by exploring the use of these words in naturalistic child-ambient language in English and Dutch. The cross-linguistic component in this analysis is relevant because languages differ in how they carve up the space of universal quantification. Our analysis revealed language- and quantifier-specific patterns in frequency, variability, and contexts of use. We discuss how these quantifier-specific usage patterns lead to quantifier-specific developmental trajectories and challenges.