An Areal Typology of Agreement Systems
An Areal Typology of Agreement Systems
Surveying over 300 languages, this typological study presents new theoretical insights into the nature of agreement, as well as empirical findings about the distribution of agreement patterns in the world's languages. Focussing primarily on agreement in gender, number and person, but with reference to agreement in other smaller categories, Ranko Matasović aims to discover which patterns of agreement are widespread and common in languages, and which are rather limited in their distribution. He sheds new light on a range of important theoretical questions such as what agreement actually is, what areal, typological and genetic patterns exist across agreement systems, and what problems in the analysis of agreement remain unresolved.
- Describes in detail the areal distribution of several patterns of agreement
- A useful resource for linguists working on areal typology and seeking evidence for prehistoric language contacts and genetic relationships
- All theoretical concepts are defined and clearly explained
Product details
June 2018Hardback
9781108420976
214 pages
235 × 157 × 15 mm
0.48kg
3 b/w illus. 14 maps 21 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. What is agreement?
- 3. Domains of agreement and categories involved
- 4. Problems with agreement
- 5. Grammatical, ambiguous and anaphoric agreement
- 6. Marginal agreement
- 7. The sample of languages
- 8. Areal and genetic patterns in agreement systems
- 9. Typological correlations in agreement systems
- 10. Diachronic patterns in the development of agreement
- 11. Conclusions.
