Systems of Nominal Classification (Language Culture and Cognition, Series Number 4) - Softcover

Senft, Gunter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521065232 ISBN 13: 9780521065238

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2008

Synopsis

A major linguistic study of nominal classification systems across a variety of languages, first published in 2000.

About this title

Book Description

This volume, first published in 2000, addresses the fundamental linguistic question of how the perceived world is expressed through systems of nominal classification. Leading scholars review the whole spectrum of nominal classification, from gender systems through to numeral classifiers, providing theoretical interpretations and empirical case studies across a variety of languages.

Synopsis

This book addresses the fundamental linguistic question of how the perceived world is expressed through systems of nominal classification that are grammatically encoded in various languages. A team of leading international scholars reviews the whole spectrum of nominal classification, from gender systems through to numeral classifiers, providing cutting-edge theoretical interpretations and empirical case studies based on a wide range of languages. The volume presents ideas about the problems of classification, advances theory by proposing typological categories and clarifies the interface between anthropological and grammatical work. Focusing on systems that have a conceptual-semantic basis, the contributors reflect and represent approaches in nominal classification research. This invaluable reference work will appeal to linguists, anthropologists and psychologists alike, as well as specialists in languages as diverse as Australian, Amazonian, Mayan and Japanese.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521065232
• ISBN 13: 9780521065238
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 364