Word
Word
Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald, La Trobe University, Victoria
A distinguished international group of scholars analyze the concept of "word" and its applicability in a range of typologically diverse languages. The languages include Amazonian, Australian Aboriginal, Eskimo, Native North American, West African, Balkan, Caucasian and Indo-Pakistani Sign Language. They exhibit a great range of phonological, morphological and grammatical characteristics, enabling the contributors to refine the definition of a "word" against this broad linguistic landscape. The book is of interest to scholars of linguistic typology and of morphology.
- The concept of 'word' seems very simple, but becomes fraught with difficulty when applied to languages very different from our own, as comparative linguists often have to do
- This book covers languages from five continents, both spoken and signed, in order to arrive at a better understanding of this elusive concept
- The editors and contributors are internationally known for their work in this field, and wrote specially commissioned essays for this volume
Reviews & endorsements
"This book offers a wealth of information on the status of the 'word' in a typologically and geographically diverse set of languages, both oral and signed...[E]xcellent." Studies in the Linguistic Sciences
Product details
January 2003Hardback
9780521818995
308 pages
236 × 160 × 24 mm
0.628kg
14 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- 1. Word: a typological framework R. M. W. Dixon and Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald
- 2. Typological parameters for the study of clitics, with special reference to Tariana Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald
- 3. The word in Cup'ik Anthony C. Woodbury
- 4. The word in Eastern/Central Arrernte John Henderson
- 5. The eclectic morphology of Jarawara, and the status of word R. M. W. Dixon
- 6. Towards a notion of 'word' in sign languages Ulrike Zeshan
- 7. Synchronic and diachronic perspective on 'word' in Siouan Robert Rankin, John Boyle, Randolph Graczyk and John Koontz
- 8. What is a word in Dagbani Knut J. Olawksy
- 9. The word in Georgian Alice C. Harris
- 10. The word in Modern Greek Brian Joseph
- 11. What can we conclude? P. H. Matthews
- Index of authors
- Index of languages and language families
- Index of subjects.
