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17 Clear vs. approximate categorization in French and Latvian

  • Hélène Vassiliadou , Elena Vladimirska , Marie Lammert , Céline Benninger , Francine Gerhard-Krait , Jelena Gridina and Daina Turla
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Type Noun Constructions in Slavic, Germanic and Romance Languages
This chapter is in the book Type Noun Constructions in Slavic, Germanic and Romance Languages

Abstract

This paper aims to put into perspective various issues surrounding categorization and approximation, two frequently opposed yet essentially indissociable operations, by comparing the taxonomic expressions in two languages belonging to different language groups (French and Latvian). We mean to verify in particular whether the expressions exhibit the same kind of semantic multifunctionality in the studied languages or, on the contrary, if we observe specific constraints in each language (lexical and grammatical variations, syntactic marking, etc.). One way to illustrate these issues is to focus on the analysis of the nouns preceding and following the type nouns in the binominal structures (X = N1 type noun Y = N2). It is also important to reinvestigate the terminological imbroglio that closely affects approximation, imprecision, vagueness and categorization. Thus, with reference to psychological literature, we will show that the principle of categorization itself functions by means of relating elements, in a similar way to approximation. We also challenge formal and semantic correlations attached to often juxtaposed interpretative types (clear, approximate, non-prototypical categorization or vagueness). However, we must temper this challenge for Latvian: with its morphological syntax, it marks lexicogrammatical differences in a more clear-cut way than French.

Abstract

This paper aims to put into perspective various issues surrounding categorization and approximation, two frequently opposed yet essentially indissociable operations, by comparing the taxonomic expressions in two languages belonging to different language groups (French and Latvian). We mean to verify in particular whether the expressions exhibit the same kind of semantic multifunctionality in the studied languages or, on the contrary, if we observe specific constraints in each language (lexical and grammatical variations, syntactic marking, etc.). One way to illustrate these issues is to focus on the analysis of the nouns preceding and following the type nouns in the binominal structures (X = N1 type noun Y = N2). It is also important to reinvestigate the terminological imbroglio that closely affects approximation, imprecision, vagueness and categorization. Thus, with reference to psychological literature, we will show that the principle of categorization itself functions by means of relating elements, in a similar way to approximation. We also challenge formal and semantic correlations attached to often juxtaposed interpretative types (clear, approximate, non-prototypical categorization or vagueness). However, we must temper this challenge for Latvian: with its morphological syntax, it marks lexicogrammatical differences in a more clear-cut way than French.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents IX
  4. 1 General introduction: Taxonomic nouns and their derived functions in Germanic, Romance and Slavic languages 1
  5. Part 1: Type noun constructions in Germanic languages
  6. 2 Type noun-constructions in English and Dutch 53
  7. 3 English type noun-constructions with lexical functions: A new functionalstructural typology 95
  8. 4 Type nouns in some varieties of English 141
  9. 5 The function and use of NP-external sort/ kind of: The case of sort/kind of DEF NP 181
  10. 6 Ways of classification: German Art and Typ 211
  11. Part 2: Type noun constructions in Romance languages
  12. 7 A panoramic overview of the extended uses of taxonomic nouns in Romance languages 243
  13. 8 Classification, qualification, typification: Categorizing with genre de and espèce de ‘kind of’ in French 311
  14. 9 The network of specie, genere, sorta, tipo constructions: From lexical features to discursive functions 351
  15. 10 Pragmatic functions and contexts of use of TIPO in European Portuguese 393
  16. 11 Taxonomic nouns and markers of mitigation in Río de la Plata Spanish 415
  17. Part 3: Type noun constructions in Slavic languages
  18. 12 Taxonomic nouns in Slavic: An overview 455
  19. 13 Towards a comprehensive typology of type noun constructions in Slavic languages, with a special focus on Polish and Russian 501
  20. 14 Polish w stylu and the rise of hedges 545
  21. 15 Czech type nouns: Evidence from corpora 571
  22. Part 4: Comparative analyses
  23. 16 The complementizer function of typenouns in ad hoc concept construction: Evidence from Italian and Russian 619
  24. 17 Clear vs. approximate categorization in French and Latvian 655
  25. 18 Sociopragmatic variation, sort of and genre in English and French 695
  26. Language index 723
  27. Subject index 725
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110701104-017

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents IX
  4. 1 General introduction: Taxonomic nouns and their derived functions in Germanic, Romance and Slavic languages 1
  5. Part 1: Type noun constructions in Germanic languages
  6. 2 Type noun-constructions in English and Dutch 53
  7. 3 English type noun-constructions with lexical functions: A new functionalstructural typology 95
  8. 4 Type nouns in some varieties of English 141
  9. 5 The function and use of NP-external sort/ kind of: The case of sort/kind of DEF NP 181
  10. 6 Ways of classification: German Art and Typ 211
  11. Part 2: Type noun constructions in Romance languages
  12. 7 A panoramic overview of the extended uses of taxonomic nouns in Romance languages 243
  13. 8 Classification, qualification, typification: Categorizing with genre de and espèce de ‘kind of’ in French 311
  14. 9 The network of specie, genere, sorta, tipo constructions: From lexical features to discursive functions 351
  15. 10 Pragmatic functions and contexts of use of TIPO in European Portuguese 393
  16. 11 Taxonomic nouns and markers of mitigation in Río de la Plata Spanish 415
  17. Part 3: Type noun constructions in Slavic languages
  18. 12 Taxonomic nouns in Slavic: An overview 455
  19. 13 Towards a comprehensive typology of type noun constructions in Slavic languages, with a special focus on Polish and Russian 501
  20. 14 Polish w stylu and the rise of hedges 545
  21. 15 Czech type nouns: Evidence from corpora 571
  22. Part 4: Comparative analyses
  23. 16 The complementizer function of typenouns in ad hoc concept construction: Evidence from Italian and Russian 619
  24. 17 Clear vs. approximate categorization in French and Latvian 655
  25. 18 Sociopragmatic variation, sort of and genre in English and French 695
  26. Language index 723
  27. Subject index 725
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