Semantic generalization in Ch’orti’ Mayan numeral classifiers
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Kerry Hull
Abstract
This study examines the process of linguistic change in the classification system of Ch’orti’ Mayan, a language spoken by roughly 12,000 people in southern Guatemala. I trace the origin of the classifier -kojt from its original meaning of “quadruped”, based on the positional root kojt‑ “kneel down”, to all animals in general; then (somewhat unexpectedly) to include certain foods; and most recently to humans. I also describe the impact of ideologically driven decisions by those involved in the Pan-Maya Movement in the Ch’orti’ area relating to the use of -kojt, namely in accelerating its natural sematic broadening to now include all human referents to compensate for the lack of such a classifier in the language. I conclude that this new use of -kojt represents both a case of standard semantic generalization as well as a case of hypercorrection due to revised notions of language ‘correctness’.
Abstract
This study examines the process of linguistic change in the classification system of Ch’orti’ Mayan, a language spoken by roughly 12,000 people in southern Guatemala. I trace the origin of the classifier -kojt from its original meaning of “quadruped”, based on the positional root kojt‑ “kneel down”, to all animals in general; then (somewhat unexpectedly) to include certain foods; and most recently to humans. I also describe the impact of ideologically driven decisions by those involved in the Pan-Maya Movement in the Ch’orti’ area relating to the use of -kojt, namely in accelerating its natural sematic broadening to now include all human referents to compensate for the lack of such a classifier in the language. I conclude that this new use of -kojt represents both a case of standard semantic generalization as well as a case of hypercorrection due to revised notions of language ‘correctness’.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Abbreviations and conventions ix
- Introduction 1
- The semantic reduction of the noun universe and the diachrony of nominal classification 9
- Niger-Congo numeral classifiers in a diachronic perspective 33
- Semantic generalization in Ch’orti’ Mayan numeral classifiers 77
- Diachronic and synchronic aspects of the simplification of grammatical gender in an obsolescent language 107
- Numeral classifier systems in the Araxes-Iran linguistic area 135
- The diachrony of Oceanic possessive classifiers 165
- Development and diffusion of classifier systems in Southwestern Amazonia 201
- Nominal and verbal classification 241
- The diachrony of inflectional classes in four Germanic languages 283
- The history of verb classification in Nyulnyulan languages 315
- Author index 353
- Language index 355
- Subject index 359
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Abbreviations and conventions ix
- Introduction 1
- The semantic reduction of the noun universe and the diachrony of nominal classification 9
- Niger-Congo numeral classifiers in a diachronic perspective 33
- Semantic generalization in Ch’orti’ Mayan numeral classifiers 77
- Diachronic and synchronic aspects of the simplification of grammatical gender in an obsolescent language 107
- Numeral classifier systems in the Araxes-Iran linguistic area 135
- The diachrony of Oceanic possessive classifiers 165
- Development and diffusion of classifier systems in Southwestern Amazonia 201
- Nominal and verbal classification 241
- The diachrony of inflectional classes in four Germanic languages 283
- The history of verb classification in Nyulnyulan languages 315
- Author index 353
- Language index 355
- Subject index 359
