Adjective Classes: A Cross-Linguistic Typology

by R. M. W. Dixon (Editor), Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald (Editor)

Overview

The studies in this volume suggest that every language has an adjective class, but these vary in character and in size. In its grammatical properties, an adjective class may beas similar to nouns, or to verbs, or to both, or to neither.ze. Whereas in some languages the adjective class is large and can be freely added to, in others it is small and closed. with just a dozen or so members. The book will interest scholars and advanced students of language typology and of the syntax and semantics of adjectives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199203468
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/13/2006
Series:	Explorations in Language and Space , #1
Pages:	392
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 6.24(h) x 0.87(d)

About the Author

R. M. W. Dixon is Professor and Director of the Research Centre for Linguistic Typology at La Trobe University. He has published grammars of a number of Australian languages (including Dyirbal and Yidi

Editorial Reviews

"Beginning with the claim that 'a distinct word class "adjectives" can be recognized for every human language,' this book goes on to present cogent argumentation for the universality of the adjective class based on data from a broad range of languages. ... This volume will clearly be useful to anyone interested in adjectives and the nature of linguistic categorization, but Dixon & Aikhenvald's primary contribution is to encourage a re-examination of adjectives in the world's languages."—Linguist List 16.1219

From the Publisher