Nominal classification in Assamese

Abstract

We provide an analysis of the classifier system in Assamese (Indo-European) via the framework of functional typology. Assamese is located at the border of Indo-European and Sino-Tibetan language families, which are typically associated with grammatical gender and classifiers, respectively. Assamese represents an insightful example of an Indo-European language relying on classifiers rather than grammatical gender to fulfill the functions typical for a nominal classification system. Our analysis shows that classifiers in Assamese behave similarly to other classifier languages in terms of lexical and discourse functions, except for the functions of definiteness marking and individuation. The implications of such findings are connected to typology, research in human cognition, and language contact.