System językowy a problemy jego opisu – o uogólnianiu na przykładzie ostatni, kolejny

Abstract

The text is devoted to the problem of criteria selection in the process of classification of language units. The problem is particularly evident in the case of lexemes, which do not comply with the general characteristics of the class. The problem was illustrated based on two Polish lexemes ostatni (the last, recent) and kolejny (next), which might be used both at the objective and the metatextual level. The use of such words updates a set/series which orders the entities that are being referred to and it is closely related to the perspective of the speaker who executes this ordering.