Word Classes in Mayan Languages

Abstract

Abstract Mayan languages present interesting properties that question word classes and the determination of lexical categories. These properties are related to the rich processes of word formation and derivation that characterize them as polysynthetic languages. Three main aspects are of particular interest: first, in terms of the complex relation between root classes and lexical categories at the stem level; second, in terms of the various patterns of cross-over between the word classes in each language, evident as a tension between lexical categorial determination and flexibility or polyvalence; third, in terms of the nature of their word classes, some of them unfamiliar in Indo-European languages, such as Positionals, Expressives, and Classifiers. Mayan languages mostly share the same word classes but differ in the degree and form of flexibility between classes, as well as in the way categorial determination operates with respect to specific word-formation levels and processes. These variations raise important questions regarding how word-class configurations might change over time and vary cross-linguistically, even in closely related languages. This chapter offers a synthetic view of such properties, based on data from more than a dozen Mayan languages, with a special focus given to Yucatec.