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Hello all,<br>
This is a very inspiring conversation indeed ! May I jump in ?<br>
<br>
Martin wrote : <br>
<blockquote cite="mid:58D2DC10.80009@shh.mpg.de" type="cite"> <br>
A <b>gender system</b> (= a system of gender markers) is a system
of genifiers which includes no more than 20 genifiers and which is
not restricted to numeral modifiers.<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
First, it is obvious (as Martin himself admits) that this arbitrary
limit of 20 is problematic. In Keeraak (Joola, Atlantic,
Niger-Congo) my own description hesitates between 18 and 21 noun
classes, depending on details that need not be mentioned here. Does
it mean that this languages might (in a typological perspective) be
called a gender language or not ? The Atlantic languages have noun
classes systems whose size vary between 3 (Nalu) to 31 (Baïnounk
Gubëeher). Following my own quick survey of 44 languages, 30 have 19
classes or less and 14 have 20 classes or more. But all of these
systems show many structural affinities.<br>
<br>
Second, I'd like to contribute a proposal : why not keep the term
'classifier', and add a one-letter prefix according to the following
principle (which can of course be discussed) :<br>
A-classifiers would be for the Amerindian type<br>
B-classifiers would be for the Bantu type (that includes many other
Niger-Congo branches of course)<br>
C-classifiers would be for the Chinese type<br>
etc...<br>
<br>
One could even make up a F-classifier type (French-like classifiers)
to include systems with morphological markers that add a semantic
value and take concord in one of the available paradigms (in French
for example, suffixes like <i>-ette</i> : diminutive, feminine
concord ; <i>-eur</i> : agent nouns, masculine concord, etc.). this
solution has the advantage to keep 'classifier' as a cover term
without the objections mentioned earlier in this discussion.<br>
<br>
Guillaume<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Guillaume Segerer<br>
<i>LLACAN UMR 8135 - CNRS INALCO</i></div>
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