Flexible word classes in linguistic typology and grammatical theory

Abstract

The first chapter presents a discussion of current issues in the categorization of word classes, focusing in particular on the idea that the traditional set of categories needs to be revised or expanded with ‘flexible word classes’, which cover functions that are typically associated with two or more of the traditional word classes (verb, noun, and adjective). The chapter sketches the main approaches and problems in the area of (flexible) word classes, including a treatment of (i) the various criteria that have been proposed to establish lexical flexibility and (ii) the notion of ‘conversion’, which has often been used to account for the fact the same word form can appear in different lexical functions. Finally, the chapter signals directions in recent and future research by placing lexical flexibility in the wider context of grammatical organization.