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5 Noun class semantics

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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110636321-0055 Noun class semantics5.1 IntroductionThis chapter investigates the semantic parameters underlying the grammati‑cal classification of nouns in Eegimaa. The view taken here is that much of the Eegimaa grammatical classification of nouns reflects a synchronic semantic cate‑gorisation of entities, and that both physical properties and culture‑specific prin‑ciples of semantic categorisation are used. The question of whether Niger‑Congo noun class systems have semantic content is a controversial one. It has been a preoccupation for scholars working on these systems of nominal classification since the early days of research in these languages (see e.g. Torrend 1891; Meinhof 1906). Among the questions that arise are the following. If noun class systems have underlying semantic bases, how much of the lexicons in these languages can be accounted for using seman‑tic criteria, and what is the nature of the semantic parameters underlying such classifications? Linguists who argue against the semantic bases of noun class system often contend that, aside from the animate/human genders and other genders like the diminutive and locative genders, Niger‑Congo noun class system are mostly devoid of semantics. These arguments have been made for Bantu languages, but they extend to other Niger‑Congo noun class systems such as Atlantic languages. The rejection of possible synchronic semantic motivations for the classification of nouns is often based on the argument that, if no semantic common denominator can be found between nouns of the same class, one cannot speak of semantically based classification in a principled way. Such claims often go hand‑in‑hand with the idea that nominal classification systems were historically semantically more coherent (Givón 1971: 33). The claim is that they were “historically based on cog‑nitive distinctions such as human, plant, animal, congregation, size, shape, but have become conventional and overtly marked with almost all nouns” (Schade‑berg 2001: 8). The dispersion of nouns denoting entities such as body parts, plants, fish and also loanwords into several classes or genders is often taken as evidence for the lack of synchronic semantic basis of Niger‑Congo noun class systems. In the last few decades, several authors working on the semantic properties of noun class systems using the Prototype Theory, discussed below, have chal‑lenged the view that Niger‑Congo noun class systems are mainly arbitrary syn‑chronically, and that semantic categorisation was only of historical relevance (Spitulnik 1989; Contini‑Morava 1997 (1994); 2002; Breedveld 1995a; Selvik 2001).
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110636321-0055 Noun class semantics5.1 IntroductionThis chapter investigates the semantic parameters underlying the grammati‑cal classification of nouns in Eegimaa. The view taken here is that much of the Eegimaa grammatical classification of nouns reflects a synchronic semantic cate‑gorisation of entities, and that both physical properties and culture‑specific prin‑ciples of semantic categorisation are used. The question of whether Niger‑Congo noun class systems have semantic content is a controversial one. It has been a preoccupation for scholars working on these systems of nominal classification since the early days of research in these languages (see e.g. Torrend 1891; Meinhof 1906). Among the questions that arise are the following. If noun class systems have underlying semantic bases, how much of the lexicons in these languages can be accounted for using seman‑tic criteria, and what is the nature of the semantic parameters underlying such classifications? Linguists who argue against the semantic bases of noun class system often contend that, aside from the animate/human genders and other genders like the diminutive and locative genders, Niger‑Congo noun class system are mostly devoid of semantics. These arguments have been made for Bantu languages, but they extend to other Niger‑Congo noun class systems such as Atlantic languages. The rejection of possible synchronic semantic motivations for the classification of nouns is often based on the argument that, if no semantic common denominator can be found between nouns of the same class, one cannot speak of semantically based classification in a principled way. Such claims often go hand‑in‑hand with the idea that nominal classification systems were historically semantically more coherent (Givón 1971: 33). The claim is that they were “historically based on cog‑nitive distinctions such as human, plant, animal, congregation, size, shape, but have become conventional and overtly marked with almost all nouns” (Schade‑berg 2001: 8). The dispersion of nouns denoting entities such as body parts, plants, fish and also loanwords into several classes or genders is often taken as evidence for the lack of synchronic semantic basis of Niger‑Congo noun class systems. In the last few decades, several authors working on the semantic properties of noun class systems using the Prototype Theory, discussed below, have chal‑lenged the view that Niger‑Congo noun class systems are mainly arbitrary syn‑chronically, and that semantic categorisation was only of historical relevance (Spitulnik 1989; Contini‑Morava 1997 (1994); 2002; Breedveld 1995a; Selvik 2001).
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Acknowledgements VII
  4. Contents XI
  5. List of figures XIX
  6. List of tables XXI
  7. Abbreviations XXIII
  8. 1 Overt verb classification in spoken language: An introduction and a typology 1
  9. 2 Nouns, verbs and polycategorial stems in Eegimaa 28
  10. 3 The Eegimaa noun class/gender system 61
  11. 4 Non-finite verbs and their classification 105
  12. 5 Noun class semantics 148
  13. 6 Semantics of overt verb classes 192
  14. 7 Event delimitation: NCP alternations on non-finite verbs 222
  15. 8 Conclusion 239
  16. References 243
  17. Appendix A: Classification and location of Eegimaa 255
  18. Appendix B: Phonological sketch of Eegimaa 261
  19. Index 267
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110636321-005

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Acknowledgements VII
  4. Contents XI
  5. List of figures XIX
  6. List of tables XXI
  7. Abbreviations XXIII
  8. 1 Overt verb classification in spoken language: An introduction and a typology 1
  9. 2 Nouns, verbs and polycategorial stems in Eegimaa 28
  10. 3 The Eegimaa noun class/gender system 61
  11. 4 Non-finite verbs and their classification 105
  12. 5 Noun class semantics 148
  13. 6 Semantics of overt verb classes 192
  14. 7 Event delimitation: NCP alternations on non-finite verbs 222
  15. 8 Conclusion 239
  16. References 243
  17. Appendix A: Classification and location of Eegimaa 255
  18. Appendix B: Phonological sketch of Eegimaa 261
  19. Index 267
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