Development and diffusion of classifier systems in Southwestern Amazonia
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Hein van der Voort
Abstract
Comparative research shows that many genealogically unrelated languages in the Guaporé-Mamoré region in the Southwestern Amazon share specific lexical and structural traits, which suggests that the region forms a linguistic area. One of these traits concerns classifier systems. Classifier systems in genealogically diverse Northwestern Amazonian languages display similar structural patterns that involve large sets of bound classifiers with wide morphosyntactic distributions, which represents an areal trait. I show that classifier systems in Southwestern Amazonian languages also share structural and formal characteristics among one another. In addition, important structural properties of these systems are similar to those that characterize Northwestern Amazonian systems. It is likely that certain structures and forms have spread through diffusion, although it may not be possible to determine their precise origin. Apparently, borrowed classifiers and calqued classifying structures have undergone further development and extension in the individual languages.
Abstract
Comparative research shows that many genealogically unrelated languages in the Guaporé-Mamoré region in the Southwestern Amazon share specific lexical and structural traits, which suggests that the region forms a linguistic area. One of these traits concerns classifier systems. Classifier systems in genealogically diverse Northwestern Amazonian languages display similar structural patterns that involve large sets of bound classifiers with wide morphosyntactic distributions, which represents an areal trait. I show that classifier systems in Southwestern Amazonian languages also share structural and formal characteristics among one another. In addition, important structural properties of these systems are similar to those that characterize Northwestern Amazonian systems. It is likely that certain structures and forms have spread through diffusion, although it may not be possible to determine their precise origin. Apparently, borrowed classifiers and calqued classifying structures have undergone further development and extension in the individual languages.
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
