Word Classes

Abstract

This article1 provides an overview of recent literature and research on word classes, focusing in particular on typological approaches to word classification. The cross‐linguistic classification of word class systems (or parts‐of‐speech systems) presented in this article is based on statements found in grammatical descriptions of some 50 languages, which together constitute a representative sample of the world's languages. It appears that there are both quantitative and qualitative differences between word class systems of individual languages. Whereas some languages employ a parts‐of‐speech system that includes the categories verb, noun, adjective and adverb, other languages may use only a subset of these four lexical categories. Furthermore, quite a few languages have a major word class whose members cannot be classified in terms of the categories verb–noun–adjective–adverb, because they have properties that are strongly associated with at least two of these four traditional word classes (e.g. adjective and adverb). Finally, this article discusses some of the ways in which word class distinctions interact with other grammatical domains, such as syntax and morphology.

Word Order, Marking, and a Two-Dimensional Classification of Parts-of-Speech System Types

“…HRS type P R r p n l n 0 l 0 Rijkhoff (2007), and the original sources listed in these papers. The main PoS system types in the HRS classification are 1, 2, 3 (flexible types), and 4, 5, 6, and 7 (rigid types).…”

“…The HRS classification of PoS system types is based on Hengeveld (1992); see also Hengeveld and Rijkhoff (2005) and Rijkhoff (2007). In Hengeveld's approach, parts of speech are defined according to the propositional functions they can have.…”

Synchronic and diachronic evidence for parallels between noun phrases and sentences

“…Languages across the globe employ various kinds of parts-of-speech systems (Rijkhoff 2007). Figure 5 shows that there are both qualitative and quantitative differences between the parts-of-speech systems.…”

Lenguas Naturales, Sistemas Cognitivos Humanos, Y Los Límites Del Cerebro Lingüístico

“…De hecho, en los modelos cognitivos más generalistas se asume que los procesos mentales complejos, al ejecutarse, necesitan ser reducidos a procesos neuronales más básicos (véase, por ejemplo, Smolensky, 2012), como los que implican la asignación de la naturaleza discreta. En las lenguas tipológicamente distintas, la organización de las clases léxicas es considerablemente variable -ya lo comentamos en las contribuciones previas de este hilo, recurriendo a trabajos de Rijkhoff (2007) o Haspelmath (2012)-; pero también parece seguro que la oposición de dichas clases en las lenguas siempre es superior a dos, es decir, requiere procesamiento discreto. En la aplicación de los modelos más generales a la comprensión de cómo nuestra cognición procesa el lenguaje, se ha observado que los principios generales de la cognición humana rigen que el número de probabilidades lógicas en las lenguas naturales sea muy reducido (cf.…”