2017/01/01 by Greville G. Corbett, Sebastian Fedden, Raphael A. Finkel · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation #Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies #Language and cultural evolution
paper · doi:10.1515/lingty-2017-0006
openalex publication_date 2017/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
Abstract The Papuan language Mian allows us to refine the typology of nominal classification. Mian has two candidate classification systems, differing completely in their formal realization but overlapping considerably in their semantics. To determine whether to analyse Mian as a single system or concurrent systems we adopt a canonical approach. Our criteria – orthogonality of the systems (we give a precise measure), semantic compositionality, morphosyntactic alignment, distribution across parts of speech, exponence, and interaction with other features – point mainly to an analysis as concurrent systems. We thus improve our analysis of Mian and make progress with the typology of nominal classification.