Determining morphosyntactic feature values
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Greville G. Corbett
Abstract
Determining the number of cases (case values) in a given language may be a challenging analytical task. In establishing the techniques, special attention has been devoted to Russian, since it exhibits a whole set of difficult problems. It has been claimed to have as few as six case values or as many as eleven. The evidence is considered again, taking the valuable work of the Set-theoretical School, and moving on to a ‘Canonical’ approach in which we construct a logical scheme against which to evaluate the different case values. We see clearly that the case values differ dramatically in status, from those at the centre of the system to those which are peripheral and in decline, yet maintaining a presence in the case system.
Abstract
Determining the number of cases (case values) in a given language may be a challenging analytical task. In establishing the techniques, special attention has been devoted to Russian, since it exhibits a whole set of difficult problems. It has been claimed to have as few as six case values or as many as eleven. The evidence is considered again, taking the valuable work of the Set-theoretical School, and moving on to a ‘Canonical’ approach in which we construct a logical scheme against which to evaluate the different case values. We see clearly that the case values differ dramatically in status, from those at the centre of the system to those which are peripheral and in decline, yet maintaining a presence in the case system.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Determining morphosyntactic feature values 1
- Does Hungarian have a case system? 35
- Case in Ingush syntax 57
- Cases, arguments, verbs in Abkhaz, Georgian and Mingrelian 75
- The degenerative dative of Southern Norrbothnian 105
- Case compounding in the Bodic languages 127
- Leipzig fourmille de typologues : Genitive objects in comparison 149
- An asymmetry between VO and OV languages 167
- On the scope of the referential hierarchy in the typology of grammatical relations 191
- Does passivization require a subject category? 211
- The definiteness of subjects and objects in Malagasy 241
- Without aspect 263
- Author index 283
- Language index 285
- Subject index 287
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Determining morphosyntactic feature values 1
- Does Hungarian have a case system? 35
- Case in Ingush syntax 57
- Cases, arguments, verbs in Abkhaz, Georgian and Mingrelian 75
- The degenerative dative of Southern Norrbothnian 105
- Case compounding in the Bodic languages 127
- Leipzig fourmille de typologues : Genitive objects in comparison 149
- An asymmetry between VO and OV languages 167
- On the scope of the referential hierarchy in the typology of grammatical relations 191
- Does passivization require a subject category? 211
- The definiteness of subjects and objects in Malagasy 241
- Without aspect 263
- Author index 283
- Language index 285
- Subject index 287