Feature GB038: Are there demonstrative classifiers?

Patrons: Jeremy Collins and Jay Latarche

Description ⇫

Summary

This question asks whether there is a classifier system in which classifiers appear with demonstratives to classify the noun. This classifier system can be symmetrical with numeral, possessive or verbal classifiers. It is sufficient if they sometimes occur. Please note, this feature does not concern gender/noun classes and agreement with the noun class, but a separate nominal classifier system.

Procedure

  1. Find 'demonstratives', which are modifiers that can modify nouns (e.g. expressing deictic distinctions or specifying reference within discourse).
  2. Code 1 if there are elements that are required with demonstratives that depend on the category of the noun, and if these elements are not used in a noun class/gender system.
  3. Code 0 if the author states there is no classifier system or if there are many examples indicating an absence of a classifier system.
  4. Code ? if the status and function of a potential classifier is unclear and requires further examples and/or analysis.

Examples

Mandarin Chinese (ISO 639-3: cmn, Glottolog: mand1415)

Tseng (2017). Coded 1:

那     个    人     是   我   的    爸爸
Nà     ge   rén    shì  wǒ   de    bàba
that   CL   person is   1SG  POSS  father
‘That person is my father.’ (Tseng 2017: 42)

Pnar (ISO 639-3: pbv, Glottolog: pnar1238)

Coded 0. There are demonstrative classifiers but they are related to the gender system. The gender clitic attaches to the demonstrative and agrees with or references the noun (Ring 2015:108-117).

utai u bru
u=taj   u=bru
M=DIST  M=person
‘that man (far away)’ (Ring 2015:111)

Kharia (ISO 639-3: khr, Glottolog: khar1287)

Coded ?. There is only one classifier that can appear with demonstratives but its status and function is unclear (Peterson 2011:124).

laʔ  atha  jhelob, ikuɖ=ga  jhelob  ro  ho   mene=ga cakar arbo samudar=te=jo
then heavy long    very=FOC long    and that CL=FOC  wide  Arab ocean=OBL=ADD

oɖoʔ=ki   ho=ki  "bapre!" gam=oʔ=ki
other=PL  that=PL wow!    say=ACT.PST=PL

‘Then at that heavy, long, very long and so very wide Arabian Sea the others all said
"Wow!".’ (Peterson 2011: 197)

Further reading

Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y. 2006. Classifiers and noun classes: Semantics. In Keith Brown (ed.) Encyclopedia of languages and linguistics, 463–471. Oxford: Elsevier.

References

Peterson, John. 2011. A grammar of Kharia: A South Munda language. (Brill's Studies in South and Southwest Asian Languages.) Leiden: Brill.

Ring, Hiram. 2015. A grammar of Pnar. (Doctoral dissertation, Nanyang Technological University)

Tseng, Shu-Chuan. 2017. Chinese demonstratives and their spoken forms in a conversational corpus (特集 フィラー研究の進展). 音声研究). Journal of the Phonetic Society of Japan 21(3). 41–52.


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0 absent 2080
1 present 120
? Not known 165
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Map ⇫


Values ⇫

Name Glottocode Family Macroarea Contributor Value Source Comment