Word Classes
Nature, typology and representations
1st Edition
Published on 24. September 2014
VII, 293 pages
978-90-272-6976-8 (ISBN)
Description
The universal and typological status of the notion of word class - closely related to part-of-speech systems, morphology, syntax and the lexicon-syntax interface - continues to be of major linguistic theoretical interest. The papers included in this volume offer a fresh look at the variety of current theoretical and descriptive approaches to word class issues, and present original analyses and new data from a number of languages. The primary focus is on methods (including computational ones) and criteria for identifying and representing major word classes and subclasses in specific languages, with considerable attention also directed towards the characterization of the nature and role of minor - or neglected - word classes, including trans-categorization processes. The range of topics and perspectives covered makes this volume of considerable interest to both theoretical linguists and typologists.
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Content
- WORD CLASSES
- Editorial page
- Title page
- LCC data
- Table of contents
- Foreword and acknowledgments
- Introduction: New approaches to old Word Class issues
- 1. A time-honored issue
- 2. New views
- 3. Approaches to word classes
- 4. What is this volume about?
- 4.1 Part I: Types of word classes
- 4.2 Part II: Minor and neglected word classes
- 4.3 Part III: Across word classes
- 4.4 Part IV: Radical views: do we really need word classes?
- References
- Part I. Types of word classes
- Carving verb classes from corpora
- 1. Classifying verb meanings
- 2. Profiling verb distributions
- 2.1 Syntactic profiles
- 2.2 Semantic profiles
- 3. From distributional profiles to semantic classes
- 3.1 A case study in distribution-based classification of Italian verbs
- 4. Conclusions
- References
- Appendix
- Classes of creation verbs
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Relevant work
- 2.1 Discussion
- 3. Classes of creation verbs
- 3.1 Create verbs
- 3.2 Verbs of derived creation
- 4. Conclusions
- References
- On Light Nouns
- 1. Word classes and subclasses
- 2. Theoretical tools and premises
- 2.1 Referential Force and degrees of nouniness
- 2.2 Modulating Referential Force
- 3. Nouns with low Referential Force
- 3.1 Taxonomic Nouns
- 3.2 Approximators
- 3.3 Quantifiers
- 3.4 Support Nouns
- 4. Evidence for light nouniness
- 4.1 Semantic headedness
- 4.2 Agreement
- 4.3 Constituency
- 5. A scale of light nouniness
- 6. Concluding remarks
- References
- The 'new adjectives' of Tswana
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Some basic aspects of Tswana morphosyntax
- 2.1 Noun classes
- 2.2 The structure of Tswana NPs
- 2.3 Canonical verbal predication
- 2.4 Other predicative constructions
- 3. The traditional adjectives
- 3.1 The inflection of traditional adjectives
- 3.2 Traditional adjectives in attributive function
- 3.3 Traditional adjectives in predicate function
- 4. The new adjectives
- 4.1 Traditional adjectives and new adjectives
- 4.2 The status of new adjectives
- 4.3 New adjectives and adjectival compounds
- 5. New adjectives as an emerging word class
- 6. Conclusion
- References
- The Chinese adjective as a word class
- 0. Introduction: Adjectives as a word class
- 1. The adjective as a typological prototype
- 2. The adjective in Chinese linguistics: An overview
- 3. Criteria for the identification of an adjective class in Chinese
- 4. On the status of 'special' adjectives
- 5. Conclusions
- References
- Qualifying modifier encoding and adjectival typology
- 1. Theoretical background
- 2. Languages with noun-like adjectives
- 2.1 Noun-like simple stem adjectives
- 2.2 Noun-like phrasal adjectives
- 2.3 Noun-like simple stem phrasal adjectives
- 3. Languages with verb-like adjectives
- 3.1 Simple stem verb-like adjectives
- 3.2 Derived stem verb-like adjectives
- 3.3 Stem-clause verb-like adjectives
- 3.4 Phrasal verb-like adjectives
- 3.5 Derived stem-phrasal verb-like adjectives
- 3.6 Superstem verb-like adjectives
- 4. Conclusion
- References
- Part II. Minor and neglected word classes
- Hungarian is a classifier language
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Three types of classifiers
- 2.1 Bare nouns denote an undifferentiated mass
- 2.2 Classifiers in Hungarian and elsewhere
- 3. Motivating the word class of sortal classifiers in Hungarian
- 3.1 Similarities in sortal classifier systems
- 3.2 Contrasts between SEA and Hungarian sortal classifier systems
- 4. Distinguishing sortal and group classifiers
- 4.1 Distinguishing classifiers
- 4.2 Explaining the contrast
- 5. Conclusion
- References
- Cardinal numerals: a syntax-semantics interface analysis
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Numerals as a 'neglected' word class
- 3. Previous studies focusing on similarities with major classes
- 4. Tentative RRG analyses
- 4.1 RP-internal numerals: Numerals as RP operators
- 4.2 RP-internal numerals: Numerals as RP nuclei
- 4.3 RP-external numerals: Numerals as clausal modifiers
- 4.4 RP-external numerals: Numerals as clausal nuclei
- 5. Conclusions
- References
- On the borders of neglected word classes: From preverbs to "satellites" via adverbs and particles
- 0. Introduction
- 1. Some generalities about word classes
- 2. Terminology and glosses relevant to Hungarian data
- 3. Place of adverbs in word class systems
- 3.1 Generalities
- 3.2 Spatial adverbs in Hungarian
- 4. Preverbs in Hungarian (grammars)
- 5. Properties of preverbs in Hungarian in comparison with spatial adverbs
- 5.1 Expression of verbal aspect
- 5.2 Autonomy and number
- 5.3 Morphological properties
- 5.4 Syntactic properties
- 6. Similar items in other languages
- 7. Proposition: the class of "satellites"
- 8. Conclusion and perspectives
- References
- Part III. Across word classes
- Between adjective and noun: Category/function mismatch, constructional overrides and coercion
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Abstract 'nominalized' adjectives (NAs)
- 2.1 Delimitation of the subject and meaning effects
- 2.2 The categorial status of the end product
- 2.3 Basic syntactic template and idiosyncratic extensions through lexicalization
- 3. Problematic accounts
- 3.1 Empty head / head deletion analysis (syntax)
- 3.2 Accounts based on 'full' recategorization
- 4. A syntactic analysis in terms of categorial mismatch
- 4.1 Accounts based on mixed categories and projections
- 4.2 Towards an explanatory construction-based account: Mismatch and coercion
- 5. 'Adjectivized' nouns (ANs)
- 6. Concluding remarks
- On decategorization and its relevance in German
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Disentangling a viable notion of decategorization
- 3. A typology of decategorization in German
- 4. Conclusion
- References
- Part IV. Radical views: Do we really need word classes?
- Word-class features and reduplicative meaning: The case of Modern Greek
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Reduplication and category-specificity: Data from MG and other languages
- 3. Operation of reduplication on lexical and morphosyntactic features of word classes
- 3.1 Countability and distributivity
- 3.2 Plural marking and scatter
- 3.3 Gradability and intensification
- 4. Summary and conclusion
- References
- Half and other unique words: Corpus patterns and lexicalist syntax
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Unique words
- 2.1 Firing verb classes
- 2.2 Half a word class
- 2.3 Semantic restrictions
- 3. Corpus Pattern Analysis
- 3.1 Patterns and surface syntax
- 3.2 Exploitations
- 4. Corpus Pattern Grammar
- 4.1 Exploitations and coercion
- 4.2 Grammatical subcategorization
- 4.3 Half (of) a pattern
- 4.4 Patterns and word classes
- 5. Conclusions
- References
- Language index
- Name index
- Subject index
