A noun class/gender system categorizes nouns for the purposes of grammatical agreement with other constituents in the noun phrase or other inflectional morphology. See the classification wiki page for more information on our definition of noun class/gender. Noun class/gender assignment may be based on one or several factors. This feature focuses on whether the shape of an object is one of these factors for a given language. There must be a clear preference for certain nouns to be classified to certain gender categories as a result of their shape for this feature to be coded 1. That is, shape must be one relevant factor in the assignment of gender; however it does not need to be an absolute deciding factor or the only relevant factor in gender/class assignment.
Note that noun class markers are sometimes used to mark diminutives and augmentatives; this feature focuses specifically on shape (e.g. long, round, square, wide) and should not be coded 1 if noun class markers associated with some other semantic categories (e.g. masculine and feminine) are recruited for diminutive and augmentative forms unless there is some other clear shape-based assignment.
Alamblak (ISO 639-3: amp, Glottolog: alam1246)
The Alamblak noun class system has two categories: masculine and feminine. For referents whose gender/sex is obvious and culturally important, assignment is based on those semantic notions. For other referents the use of noun class markers with particular nominal roots is based largely on shape.
"These noun roots select one gender marker or the other as their semantically unmarked form on the basis of a secondary or extended meaning of the gender markers. Specifically, the masculine suffix (-r) may be used to refer to tall, or long, slender, or narrow objects; the feminine suffix (-t) may be used for typically short, squat, or wide objects" (Bruce 1984: 97).
Alambak is coded 1 because this extension of masculine and feminine categories involves specific semantic categories based on the shape of the referent (long, tall, slender vs. short, squat wide).
Savosavo (ISO 639-3: svs, Glottolog: savo1255)
Nouns associated with inanimate referents are typically categorized as masculine. However, they can be used with feminine noun class/gender markers to create a diminutive meaning (e.g. to indicate a contrast in size relative to the prototypical size of the referent). In the example below, the feminine object marker k- is used to mark agreement with molo 'knife', which would normally be associated with masculine agreement marking. This indicates a diminutive meaning.
Pade gnari molo pono=lo te k-au-i. one small knife only=3SG.M.NOM EMPH 3SG.F.O-take-FIN ‘He only took one small knife.’ (bd cs tonelo 184)
(Wegener 2012: 63)
Savosavo is coded 0, as this does not involve the shape of the object playing a role in the lexical assignment of nominals to genders/classes, but rather involves the recruitment of a noun class/gender marker to express a diminutive meaning.
Corbett, Greville G. 1991. Gender. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Senft, Gunter. 2000. Systems of nominal classification. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bruce, Les. 1984. The Alamblak Language of Papua New Guinea (East Sepik). (Pacific Linguistics: Series C, 81.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.
Wegener, Claudia U. 2012. A grammar of Savosavo. (Mouton Grammar Library, 61.) Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
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| 0 | absent | 2073 | |
| 1 | present | 155 | |
| ? | Not known | 200 |
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