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Title The diachrony of classification systems / edited by William B. McGregor, Aarhus University ; Søren Wichmann, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
Published Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2018

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Description 1 online resource
Series Current issues in linguistic theory ; vol. 342
Amsterdam studies in the theory and history of linguistic science. Series IV, Current issues in linguistic theory ; vol. 342.
Contents Intro -- THE DIACHRONY OF CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS -- Editorial page -- Title page -- LCC data -- Table of contents -- Preface -- Abbreviations and conventions -- Introduction -- 1. Background -- 2. Origins -- 3. Developments -- 4. Diffusion -- 5. Final remarks -- References -- The semantic reduction of the noun universe and the diachrony of nominal classification -- 1. Introduction -- 2. A definition of nominal classification -- 3. The pragmatics of semantic generality -- 4. Semantic opacity and renewal -- 4.1 Descriptive content of classifiers, semantically transparent and opaque classification -- 4.2 From semantically transparent to opaque assignment -- 4.3 Replacement of opaque classification by transparent classification -- 5. Differential diffusability of nominal classification -- 6. Summary and conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Niger-Congo numeral classifiers in a diachronic perspective -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The numeral classifier systems in Niger-Congo -- 3. Lexical sources and cognitive models of classifiers -- 3.1 Body parts -- 3.2 Basic level terms -- 3.3 Botanical terms -- 3.4 Terms of aggregation and partition -- 3.5 Obscure etymology -- 4. Syntactic sources of classifier constructions -- 5. Grammaticalization: from noun to classifier -- 6. Puzzles -- 7. Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Appendix -- Semantic generalization in Ch'orti' Mayan numeral classifiers -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Numeral classifiers in Ch'orti' -- 3. The origin of -kojt and semantic generalization -- 4. Sources of linguistic data on Ch'orti' -- 5. The use of -kojt in Ch'orti' -- 6. A shot in the arm for semantic generalization -- 7. The further extension of meaning among human referents -- 8. Discussion -- 9. A change in momentum -- 10. Conclusion -- References
Diachronic and synchronic aspects of the simplification of grammatical gender in an obsolescent language: The case of Irish -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Irish: Sociolinguistic background and the traditional gender system -- 2.1 Sociolinguistic status of Irish -- 2.2 Gender in traditional Irish -- 3. Methodology -- 3.1 The data -- 3.2 Procedure -- 4. Findings -- 4.1 Agreement with the article -- 4.2 Agreement with the adjective -- 4.3 Pronominal agreement -- 4.4 Summary -- 5. Discussion -- 6. Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Numeral classifier systems in the Araxes-Iran linguistic area: Numeral classifier systems in the Araxes-Iran linguistic area -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Overview of numeral classifiers -- 2.1 Numeral classifiers: forms and meanings -- 3. Behavior of numeral classifiers -- 3.1 Usages of numeral classifiers -- 3.2 Disallowed uses of numeral classifiers -- 3.3 The numeral '1' -- 3.4 Quantifiers and numeral classifiers -- 3.5 Obligatory use of numeral classifiers as heads of NPs -- 4. Diachrony -- 5. Greenbergian typology -- 6. Areality and fade-out -- 7. Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- The diachrony of Oceanic possessive classifiers -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The typical Oceanic pattern of attributive possessive constructions -- 3. The diachrony of the possessive classifiers systems within Oceanic -- 3.1 The Proto-Oceanic possessive system -- 3.2 Reductions and expansions in Oceanic possessive systems -- 3.3 The Polynesian pattern -- 3.4 Possessive constructions in Oceanic: A brief summary -- 4. Multiple possessive constructions in non-Oceanic Austronesian languages -- 4. Multiple possessive constructions in non-Oceanic Austronesian languages -- 5. Multiple possessive constructions in Papuan languages -- 6. Summary and conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References
Development and diffusion of classifier systems in Southwestern Amazonia -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Form and meaning of classifiers -- 2.1 Kwaza (isolate) -- 2.2 Kanoê (isolate) -- 2.3 Aikanã (isolate) -- 2.4 Movima (isolate) -- 2.5 Itonama (isolate) -- 2.6 Lakondê (Northern Nambikwaran) -- 2.7 Cavineña (Tacanan) -- 2.8 Arikapu (Jabutian, Macro-Jêan) -- 2.9 Baure (Southern Arawakan) -- 2.10 Karo (Ramarama, Tupian) -- 3. Distribution and functions of classifiers -- 3.1 Classifiers combined with nominal roots -- 3.2 Classifiers combined with verbal roots -- 3.3 Classifiers that function as nominalizers -- 3.4 Interchangeability of classifiers and nouns -- 3.5 Generic classifiers and obligatory grammatical slots -- 3.6 Rare constructions -- 4. The empty morpheme construction -- 4.1 Kwaza -- 4.2 Kanoê -- 4.3 Aikanã -- 4.4 Movima -- 4.5 Lakondê -- 4.6 Cavineña -- 4.7 Arikapu -- 4.8 Baure -- 5. Discussion -- 5.1 Classifying forms -- 5.2 The empty morpheme -- 5.3 Possessive classifiers -- 6. Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Nominal and verbal classification: A comparative perspective -- 1. Introduction: Basic idea of the paper -- 2. Classification and compounding -- 2.1 Nominal compounds and nominal classification -- 2.2 Verbal compounds and verbal classification -- 3. The functional range of verbal and nominal classification -- 3.1 The functional range of compound-related nominal classification -- 3.2 The functional range of compound-related verbal classification -- 3.3 Light verbs and serial verb constructions in the light of verbal classification -- 4. Why is classification recurrent in the nominal domain and relatively rare in the verbal domain? -- 4.1 General remarks -- 4.2 The role of classification in grammatical categories of the noun -- 4.3 The role of classification in grammatical categories of the verb
5. Conclusion: Some general considerations -- References -- The diachrony of inflectional classes in four Germanic languages: What happens after transparency is lost -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Prehistory of inflectional classes in Germanic languages -- 2.1 Prehistory of declensions -- 2.2 Prehistory of conjugations -- 3. Reorganization of inflectional classes in four Germanic languages -- 3.1 Number of classes -- 3.2 Exponence of inflectional classes -- 3.3 Conditioning of class membership -- 4. General discussion -- 4.1 Declensions versus conjugations -- 4.2 Refunctionalization -- 5. Conclusions -- References -- The history of verb classification in Nyulnyulan languages -- 1. Introduction -- 1.1 Aims and purposes -- 1.2 Nyulnyulan family -- 2. Features of verbal lexemes and constructions in Nyulnyulan languages -- 3. Broad comparison of PV-IV collocations in the Nyulnyulan family -- 3.1 Reflexes of some proto-PVs and their collocating IVs in Nyulnyulan languages -- 3.1 Reflexes of some proto-PVs and their collocating IVs in Nyulnyulan languages -- 3.2 Reconstruction of PV-IV pairings in Proto-Nyulnyulan -- 3.3 PV-IV collocations in other Kimberley languages -- 4. Comparison of CVC systems -- 4.1 Semantics of Nyulnyul and Warrwa systems of verb classification -- 4.2 Comparison of the extensions of the Nyulnyul and Warrwa categories -- 5. The evolution of verb classification in Nyulnyulan languages -- 5.1 The Proto-Nyulnyulan CVC as a verb classification system -- 5.2 Subsequent evolution of verb classification in Nyulnyulan -- 6. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Author index -- Language index -- Subject index
Summary Some papers presented at a conference held at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Wassenaar, The Netherlands on 12-3 March, 2009
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Print version record and CIP data provided by publisher
Subject Language and languages -- Classification -- Congresses
LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES -- Linguistics -- Historical & Comparative.
Language and languages -- Classification
Genre/Form Conference papers and proceedings
Classification
Form Electronic book
Author McGregor, William, 1952- editor.
Wichmann, Søren, 1964- editor.
LC no. 2018034098
ISBN 9789027264138
9027264139