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On categorization: Stick to the facts of the languages

  • Randy J. LaPolla EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: September 27, 2016

Abstract

This paper argues that in doing both description and comparison we should work inductively, staying true to the facts of the languages as manifested in natural data, and not resort to abstractions that lead to classifying languages or constructions in a way that ignores the actual facts of the languages. A non-Structuralist alternative view of communication and typological description is also presented.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Rik De Busser and Alec Coupe for very helpful comments on a draft of this paper.

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Received: 2016-3-14
Revised: 2016-6-6
Published Online: 2016-9-27
Published in Print: 2016-10-1

©2016 by De Gruyter Mouton

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