Cross-Categorial Classification: Nouns and Verbs in Eegimaa

Serge Sagna

Published by De Gruyter Mouton 2022

Cross-Categorial Classification

Nouns and Verbs in Eegimaa

Serge Sagna

Volume 60 in the series Empirical Approaches to Language Typology [EALT]

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110636321

Overview
Contents

About this book

Languages in which non-finite verbs (infinitives, gerunds etc.) are classified using the same linguistic means as nouns are rare. This typologically unusual phenomenon is found in some Atlantic (Niger-Congo) languages, including Jóola languages like Eegimaa, Fogny and Kwatay, where several different noun class/gender prefixes (NCPs) are used to classify both nouns and verbs. In this book, it is argued following Sagna (2008), that these parallel morphosyntactic classifications in the nominal domain and verbal domains also reflect parallel semantic categorisation of entities and events. The main topics investigated in this book are word class flexibility between nouns and verbs, non-finiteness, noun class/gender (where morphological classes are analysed separately from agreement classes) and the semantic principles underlying the categorisation of entities and events. One of the central findings proposed in this book is that instances of NCP alternations on non-finite verbs reflect strategies of event delimitation. This book will be of interest to scholars investigating parts-of-speech systems, finiteness, systems of nominal and verbal classification, and linguistic categorization.

Author information

Serge Sagna, University of Manchester and University of York, UK.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	V
Acknowledgements Publicly Available Download PDF	VII
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	XI
List of figures Publicly Available Download PDF	XIX
List of tables Publicly Available Download PDF	XXI
Abbreviations Publicly Available Download PDF	XXIII
1 Overt verb classification in spoken language: An introduction and a typology Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2 Nouns, verbs and polycategorial stems in Eegimaa Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	28
3 The Eegimaa noun class/gender system Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	61
4 Non-finite verbs and their classification Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	105
5 Noun class semantics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	148
6 Semantics of overt verb classes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	192
7 Event delimitation: NCP alternations on non-finite verbs Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	222
8 Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	239
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	243
Appendix A: Classification and location of Eegimaa Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	255
Appendix B: Phonological sketch of Eegimaa Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	261
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	267

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Mouton
Audience: Researchers in General and Theoretical Linguistics, Typology
Pages
- Front matter: 22
- Main content: 268
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 7
- Coloured Illustrations: 3
- Tables: 31
Keywords: Atlantic Languages; African Languages; Eegimaa; Banjal

eBook

Published: March 7, 2022
ISBN: 9783110636321

Hardcover

Published: March 21, 2022
ISBN: 9783110595062