Classifiers A Typology of Noun Categorization Devices

OXFORD STUDIES IN TYPOLOGY AND LINGUISTIC

THEORY. 2000.



ContentsI. Preliminaries

1.1 General remarks

1.2 Classifiers: an illustration

1.3 Theoretical framework, data, and sources

1.4 Approaches to the typology of classifiers

1.5 Parameters for the typology of classifiers

1.6 The structure of this book

2. Noun Class and Gender Systems

2.1 General remarks

2.2 Properties of noun class systems

2.3 Principles of noun class assignment

2.3.1 Semantic assignment

2.3.2 Morphological assignment

2.3.3 Phonological assignment

2.3.4 Mixed principles of assignment

2.4 Noun classes and agreement

2.4.1 A working definition of agreement and

agreement properties

2.4.2 Principles of noun class agreement

2.4.3 Variability in noun class assignment and

variable agreement

2.4.4 Determining the number of noun classes in

a language

2.5 Markedness and resolution in noun classes

2.5.1 Markedness

2.5.2 Noun class resolution

2.5.3 Markedness relationships in noun classes

2.6 Realization of noun classes

2.6.1 Overt and covert noun class marking

2.6.2 Morphological realization of noun classes

2.6.3 Double marking of noun classes

2.7 Languages with more than one kind of noun class 67

2.7.1 Nominal and pronominal noun class 68

2.7.2 Different kinds of noun class in the same

environment 70

2.7.3 Languages with more than one kind of noun class:

a summary 76

2.8 Distribution of noun classes in the languages of the

world 77



3. Noun Classifiers 81

3.1 Properties of noun classifiers 81

3.2 Noun classifiers: discussion and exemplification 82

3.2.1 The choice of noun classifiers and the

eooccurrence of several classifiers within one

noun phrase 82

3.2.2 Semantic functions of noun classifiers 84

3.2.3 Size of inventory and degree of

grammaticalization of noun classifiers 84

3.2.4 Syntactic functions of noun classifiers 87

3.3 Noun classifiers and numeral classifiers 90

3.4 Realization and grammatica1ization of noun classifiers 91

3.5 Overt noun class marking and noun classifiers 92

3.6 Distribution of noun classifiers in the languages of

the world 97



4. Numeral Classifiers 98

4.1 Properties of numeral classifiers 98

4.2 Numeral classifier constructions and morphological

realization of numeral classifiers 101

4.2.1 Numeral classifiers as independent lexemes 101

4.2.2 Numeral classifiers attached to numerals 105

4.2.3 Numeral classifiers attached to the head noun 110

4.3 Languages with more than one morphological type of

numeral classifier 112

4.3.1 Different types of numeral classifier in

complementary distribution 112

4.3.2 Different types of numeral classifier which

occur together 113

4.4 Problems with numeral classifiers 114

4.4.1 Mensural and sortal classifiers: distinguishing

classifiers from quantifying expressions 114

4.4.2 Incipient numeral classifiers 120



4.5 Distribution of numeral classifiers in the languages of

the world 121



Index of Languages, Linguistic Areas, and Language Families 509

Index of Authors 519