Noun Class Research Articles

Diminutivization and expressive lateralization in Tiania

AbstractIn this paper we provide a descriptive account of the interacting morphological, phonological, and lexical factors determining how diminutives are marked in Tiania [etianíá], an understudied variant of the Central Kenya Bantu language Kimeru. As in other languages, diminutivization in Tiania can indicate a decrease in size or quantity or express positive endearment or negative scorn, depending on the noun and the context. We will show that diminutivization is effected by transferring nouns into singular noun class 12 and plural class 13, as in other Bantu languages, but with two interesting variations: First, depending on the lexical class of the input noun, the diminutive prefixes will either replace or precede the noun’s prefix. In the latter case, the diminutive plural prefix may be added to either the singular or plural form of the base noun, again depending on the latter’s noun class. The second interesting variation is that the majority of nouns which have an /r/ in their stem or prefix replace such /r/’s by [l], something we refer to as “expressive lateralization”, e.g. e-rinyá ‘pit, cave (class 5)’ → ka-linyá ‘a small pit (class 12)’, ri-étwa˚ ‘name (class 5)’ → ka-li-étwa˚ ‘a sweet name’. To study the first variation, we systematically survey the diminutivization of nouns from all noun classes, singular and plural. To study the second variation, we track every one of 330 nouns with /r/ with respect to lateralization. In attempting to explain why such lateralization should occur, we consider augmentative and depreciative noun to noun derivations which also undergo /r/ → [l] as well as other derived word classes, e.g. adjectives, which sometimes undergo expressive lateralization, depending on whether they are denominal or deverbal (verbs never show such effects). Being that this is the only reported case we know of expressive lateralization, Tiania is both of typological interest as well as a mystery within Bantu and beyond.

Between compounding and phrasal derivation: Polish complex nouns in sam(o)-

The aim of this paper is to explore the class of Polish complex nouns with the initial combining form samo-, such as samobójca ‘suicide’. The study seeks to determine the morphological structure of what we consider to be a case of ‘syntax-inside-morphology’ in the domain of Polish word-formation. We want to argue that what appears to be sheer concatenation of morphological building blocks, often routinely classified as a compound word with a lefthand bound root, could, in fact, be interpreted as a derived noun based on a phrasal unit. In what follows, we shall argue that the morphosemantics of Polish complex nouns in samo- can successfully be captured by left-branching structure, which ensures that their morphological and semantic representations cohere into a well-organised whole. The dispute over derivational phenomena exhibiting a degree of reciprocity between morphology and syntax has long surrounded the data-driven examination of certain word-formation types across languages. Currently, a rich body of linguistic data amassed across various languages seems to strongly undermine the aprioristic separation of the two modules of grammar. The present study draws on tenets central to theories which are neither strictly lexicalist nor syntactocentric, in particular the Firewall Theory advanced by Lieber & Scalise (2006) .

Domain embeddings for generating complex descriptions of concepts in Italian language.

In this work, we propose a Distributional Semantic resource enriched with linguistic and lexical information extracted from electronic dictionaries. This resource is designed to bridge the gap between the continuous semantic values represented by distributional vectors and the discrete descriptions provided by general semantics theory. Recently, many researchers have focused on the connection between embeddings and a comprehensive theory of semantics and meaning. This often involves translating the representation of word meanings in Distributional Models into a set of discrete, manually constructed properties, such as semantic primitives or features, using neural decoding techniques. Our approach introduces an alternative strategy based on linguistic data. We have developed a collection of domain-specific co-occurrence matrices derived from two sources: a list of Italian nouns classified into four semantic traits and 20 concrete noun sub-categories and Italian verbs classified by their semantic classes. In these matrices, the co-occurrence values for each word are calculated exclusively with a defined set of words relevant to a particular lexical domain. The resource includes 21 domain-specific matrices, one comprehensive matrix, and a Graphical User Interface. Our model facilitates the generation of reasoned semantic descriptions of concepts by selecting matrices directly associated with concrete conceptual knowledge, such as a matrix based on location nouns and the concept of animal habitats. We assessed the utility of the resource through two experiments, achieving promising outcomes in both the automatic classification of animal nouns and the extraction of animal features.

The roots and structures of possessive noun classes

The roots and structures of possessive noun classes

Noun classes, variation, and creativity in youth language practices in Zimbabwe and Tanzania

Abstract While classical accounts of Bantu linguistics often depict noun classes as an inherent feature of nouns, more recent studies show there is greater variation in the use of noun classes, especially in terms of their discursive and pragmatic context. Youth language practices, often characterized by creativity and conscious changes, are of particular interest in this regard. This paper explores whether Bantu youth language practices exhibit conscious variation in their noun class systems and agreement. I discuss data from Bantu-based youth language practices in Southern and Eastern Africa, especially Lugha ya mtaani (Tanzania) and S’ncamtho (Zimbabwe), looking at noun classes and agreement. The paper features a short discussion of variation in noun class usage in Bantu languages in general, including insights into relevant aspects such as information structure, the use of loan words, noun classes in multilingual or translanguaging situations, and semantics. The latter is particularly important, as speakers can make conscious use of noun classes as part of contextualized meaning making processes that reflect semantic nuances and stylistic choices. The objective of this contribution is to highlight the role of semantics and conscious meaning making in the choice of grammatical devices and the manifestations of microvariation in youth language practices.

Trends in Mutual Transpositions of Lexical and Grammatical Noun Categories in Russian Language

This study addresses the gap in understanding the lexico-grammatical-structural types of nouns, particularly how lexico-semantic variants gain new connotations during transposition. Drawing upon Babaytseva’s theory of transitivity phenomena and building on Mel’chuk’s text semantic theory, we identify the schemes and mechanisms of transposition relations concerning the lexical and grammatical categories of modern Russian nouns, by analyzing transposition phenomena and their semantic mechanisms in 660 Russian nouns with indefinite denotation and lexical and grammatical status. The research details all possible immigration transpositions of the lexical and grammatical categories of nouns at the minimal context level and their mechanisms. Findings reveal that approximately 27% of the examined nouns carry connotative meanings, encompassing functional-stylistic, cultural-ethnic, and emotional-evaluative facets. Additionally, the transposition of nouns can occur within or between categories. The principal mechanisms of transposition at the syntagmatic level include metaphors and metonymy. Transpositions at the lexical and semantic categories of nouns coincide with several phenomena: changes in the numerical paradigm, phraseologization, connotation, and the unveiling of the noun’s stylistic potential.

Pola Fungsi Kalimat pada Novel “Pulang” Karya Tere Liye dan Kelayakannya sebagai Materi Pengayaan Siswa Kelas Xll SMA

Understanding sentence function patterns plays a major role in reading a novel, especially in class XII. By studying the understanding of sentence function patterns, class XII students can understand the important role of sentence function patterns in a novel. This research aims to be an informative and interesting learning resource for class XII students to use novels as enrichment material and improve their language skills. This research considers the function patterns of sentences in the novel "Pulang" by Tere Liye and the feasibility of sentence readability as enrichment material for class XII students. The method used in this research is a qualitative-descriptive method. Qualitative descriptive methods do not rely on evidence-based systematic logic, numerical principles, or statistical methods. This research helps determine the function patterns of sentences through the functions, categories, and roles of sentences in the novel, as well as the data and data sources in this research in the form of collections of sentences in the novel "Pulang" by Tere Liye. The data analysis technique used in this research uses the AGH method. The results of this research found sentence function patterns in the novel "Pulang" by Tere Liye. There are two S-P sentence patterns; there are three S-P-O sentence patterns; there are three S-P-Pel sentence patterns; there are four S-P-O-Pel sentence patterns; there are three S-P-K sentence patterns; there are four S-P-O-K sentence patterns; there are five S-P-O-Pel-K sentence patterns; and there are five S-P-O-Pel-K sentence patterns. Analysis of sentences based on function found the following sentence function patterns: S, P, O, and K. Analysis of sentences based on categories found in sentences is as follows: Function S is in the noun category. Function P is categorized as an adjective or verb. Function O is in the noun category. Ket functions are categorized as verbs, adjectives, and verb phrases. The analysis of sentences based on the roles found in the sentences is as follows: S's function is to act as an actor. Function P acts as a command or action. Function O acts as a sufferer. The functions of information are time, nature, and circumstances. Apart from that, the sentence function patterns in the novel "Pulang" by Tere Liye are suitable as enrichment material for class not good, accuracy in finding sentence function patterns, inaccuracy in finding sentence function patterns, accuracy in preparing sentence function patterns, inaccuracy in preparing sentence function patterns, effectiveness in reading story text narratives in novels, and ineffectiveness in reading story text narratives in novels. The results of this research can provide knowledge and insight into an understanding of In this research, understanding sentence function patterns for class XII students is very important to ensure that the teaching materials presented can be understood and applied by the class.

Understanding Chichewa Noun Classes and Morphological Structure

This paper explores the complex noun classification system of Chichewa, a Bantu language primarily spoken in Malawi and surrounding regions, with approximately 15 million speakers. This system, which categorizes nouns based on both semantic and morphological criteria, profoundly impacts subject-verb agreement and concord usage, thereby shaping Chichewa sentence structure. Nouns are divided into various classes, each marked by specific prefixes that change with singular and plural forms. For example, class 5 and 6 nouns typically begin with consonants such as b-, d-, and dz-, with singular forms prefixed by "li-" and plural forms by "ma-". A distinctive feature of some class 6 nouns is their retention of the "ma-" prefix in both singular and plural contexts. The paper also discusses classes 7 and 8, which differentiate nouns starting with "ch-" in singular and "z-" in plural, and classes 9 and 10, where nouns generally maintain the same form between singular and plural, using "i-" for singular and "zi-" for plural. Diminutive prefixes "ka-" and "ti-" classify nouns into classes 12 and 13, while nouns beginning with "u-" or forming plurals with "ma-" are assigned to classes 14 and 6, respectively. The study further explores locative prefixes, with class 15 involving gerund forms with "ku- ", class 16 using "pa-" for "on", class 17 using "ku-" for "at", and class 18 using "mu-" for "in". These classifications not only highlight the morphological complexity and systematic nature of Chichewa grammar and syntax but also provide a comprehensive framework for understanding and effectively using the language, offering valuable insights for linguists, language learners, and educators.

Exprimer la dynamique spatiale par l’utilisation de l’adjectif grave et ses équivalents polonais dans les textes de loi

Starting from the observation that the construction of vague reference in legal texts is intended by the legislator, we examine the intensifier adjective grave linked to linguistic vagueness. The aim is to define the meanings of grave and the role of the noun it qualifies, and to identify Polish equivalents in comparable and parallel legal texts. After mentioning studies on vagueness and vague reference, we analyse definitions that indicate two meanings: ‘importance’ and ‘consequence. The ‘cause-consequence’ relationship becomes central to the study of the categories of intensifiable nouns and grave meanings. The Polish equivalents prove that it is polysemous and that the place of the N in the logical relation must be taken into account.

Variability of article categorization of nouns in English proverbs and sayings

Variability of article categorization of nouns in English proverbs and sayings

OLD UKRAINIAN SLOVUTA AND «OLD EUROPEAN» HYDRONYMY

The paper offers a new etymology of the Old Ukrainian hydronym Slovuta and its derivational congeners Slovuticь and Slovutičь against the background of the non-Slavic equivalent Dъněprъ and the Greek transcriptions Δάναπρις and Βορυσϑένης. The proposed explication of OU Slovuta is undertaken in the context of research on «Old European» hydronymy as first introduced within Krahe’s school of thought. The author substantiates the origins of the derivative Slovuticь / Slovutičь in the historical paratactic construction Dъneprъ-Slovuticь. A comparison with other paratactic constructions shows that this derivative is a result of the historical substantivization of Slavic nouns used primarily in the attributive function. In place of its commonly accepted participial interpretation, the author treats the form Slovuta as an athematic denominative from PU *slov-ǫt-a continuing an earlier formation with the original meaning ‛the one who possesses the quality of *slov-’. The postulated base *slov- is characterized by onomatopoetic syncretism of both the sound of rinsing, washing, flowing (PIE *k̂leṷH-) and its perception (PIE *k̂leṷ-), while the termination -ā functions as a «noun class marker» designating a natural stream of fresh water. The author also argues that the underlying formation PIE *k̂leṷH-/ *k̂leṷ-ont-ā >*k̂leṷ(H)-ont-ā (> PS slov-ont-ā > PU slov-ǫt-ā > OU slov-ut-a) could have appeared in the early-inflecting «Old European» period in the formation of Indo-European, transitional from the active grammar type to the system of nominative-accusative grammar.

The pluralization palette: unveiling semantic clusters in English nominal pluralization through distributional semantics

AbstractUsing distributional semantics, we show that English nominal pluralization exhibits semantic clusters. For instance, the change in semantic space from singulars to plurals differs depending on whether a word denotes, e.g., a fruit, or an animal. Languages with extensive noun classes such as Swahili and Kiowa distinguish between these kind of words in their morphology. In English, even though not marked morphologically, plural semantics actually also varies by semantic class. A semantically informed method, CosClassAvg, is introduced that is compared to two other methods, one implementing a fixed shift from singular to plural, and one creating plural vectors from singular vectors using a linear mapping (FRACSS). Compared to FRACSS, CosClassAvg predicted plural vectors that were more similar to the corpus-extracted plural vectors in terms of vector length, but somewhat less similar in terms of orientation. Both FRACSS and CosClassAvg outperform the method using a fixed shift vector to create plural vectors, which does not do justice to the intricacies of English plural semantics. A computational modeling study revealed that the observed difference between the plural semantics generated by these three methods carries over to how well a computational model of the listener can understand previously unencountered plural forms. Among all methods, CosClassAvg provides a good balance for the trade-off between productivity (being able to understand novel plural forms) and faithfulness to corpus-extracted plural vectors (i.e., understanding the particulars of the meaning of a given plural form).

APPLICATION OF EQUIVALENT TRANSLATION AND LEXICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN TRANSLATION OF ABSTRACT NOUNS (cased on the material of the work of S. Collins “The Hunger Games”)

The article generally analyzes the translation methods of abstract nouns in the fantastic work “The Hunger Games” by S. Collins using equivalent translation and lexical transformations. This question is relevant for modern translation studies since abstract nouns play asignificant role in the systems of modern languages of the world and are a large group among other classes of nouns. The author explores the specifics of translating abstract concepts in the context of fantasy literature and considers various strategies that can be used to preserve the meaning and emotional nuance of the original. Based on examples from The Hunger Games, the author shows which vocabulary transformations can be used to achieve the most accurate and effective translation. The results of the study indicate the importance of a careful approach to the translation of abstract nouns in the fantasy genre and the use of various translation strategies. The relevance of the research, therefore, is determined by the insufficient degree of study of the problem of translating abstract nouns in fiction from English to Ukrainian. We see the prospects of the research in the analysis of lexical transformations in the translation of textfragments with abstract nouns in the Ukrainian language.

АБСТРАКТНЫЕ СУЩЕСТВИТЕЛЬНЫЕ

The article discusses the classification of nouns and the allocation of abstract nouns according to various criteria

Prosodic Analysis of Noun Class Markers in the Syntax of BÀTỌ̀NU Language

The grammatical derivation of languages varies, leading to language specificity. In particular, languages with noun classes have unique methods of realizing them through prefixing and sometimes suffixing, such as in the Bàtọ̀nu language. This study focuses on the interface between syntax and phonology in the grammatical realization of the noun class system in the Bàtọ̀nu language, spoken in the Baruteen Local Government Area of Kwara State in Nigeria. Interviews were conducted to gather data, supplemented by secondary sources. Theoretical principles from Government and Binding Theory (GB) and Autosegmental Phonology were used to represent sentence structure and the tonal analysis of the data. Previous research established that the language has seven noun class markers (NCM). We found that phonological features, such as labialization, nasalization, and tone, can influence and determine the grammatical functions of class markers in languages that attest to them. In the case of Bàtọ́nu NCM, the tone is the determining factor. We assume that the class markers are unmarked at the underlying representation (UR), and when a floating high tone (HT) is assigned to the NCM underlyingly, they function as class markers. When a floating mid-tone (MT) is assigned, they become relative clause marker variants, and when in contact with the HT focus morpheme -á in focus constructions in the language, they function as focus marker variants.

Effects of Grammatical Gender on Gender Inferences: Experimental Evidence From Italian Common Gender Nouns

Recent psycholinguistic research has focused on how different grammatical gender marking strategies affect people's mental representation of referents’ gender. Such works particularly explored how explicitly encoded linguistic elements, such as grammatical gender markers, may drive the inferential process as attentional clues. Results of reading comprehension tasks in French and German have shown that the explicit encoding of masculine gender in plural forms of role nouns often leads to a male bias, a specific masculine inference corresponding to the grammatical gender clue, even when the masculine form was intended as generic, thus including women and men. Moreover, comparing generic masculine forms with gender-fair alternatives revealed that the latter significantly reduce this male bias. The present study examines the impact of three gender marking strategies on the construction of generic mental representations. Indeed, the experiment tested generic masculine against two gender-fair forms (split masculine/feminine forms and ambiguous syntactic reformulations) among 38 Italian speakers. No significant effect was found in generating a generic mental representation through form manipulation. However, ambiguous syntactic reformulation realised by presenting target nouns from the Italian common gender noun class and through the neutralisation of determiners’ gender, increased the probability of a male-specific inference. Additionally, a keen interest in gender-fair language topics was linked to longer reaction times, indicating a higher cognitive effort during the inference process.

The Grammaticalization of Self and Self-World in East Mekeo: Personhood as a Closed System

Abstract: Relational nouns have been studied extensively, typically under the rubric of inalienable possession. Such nouns are typically bound to presupposed referents by an anaphoric morpheme indicating person and number. In Oceanic languages, one large class of relational nouns is linked contingently to nonhuman entities that are routinely specified in the utterance. However, another large class is linked noncontingently to presupposed human referents that typically need not be specified in the given utterance. In this paper, I propose that, in East Mekeo, the latter class of nouns corresponds with (and reveals to the investigator) the main parameters of the Mekeo self and its social world.

Relativization in Likpakpaln (Ghana): New typological perspectives on the Mabia (Gur) languages

AbstractThis article provides the first systematic account of relativization in Likpakpaln, an understudied Mabia (Gur) language of Ghana. Broadly speaking, Likpakpaln features two types of relative clauses: restrictive and non-restrictive. Both types of relative clauses are finite and marked by a relative pronoun as well as a clausal definite determiner. The first type is always headed by an indefinite noun. The second is invariably headed by a definite head noun, is additionally marked by a prosodic break, and is usually under focus. The relative pronoun is a composite form comprised of a noun class agreement marker and an invariant relative marker. A number of the features of relative clauses in Likpakpaln align it with other Mabia languages of the region, whereas others distinguish it from these languages. This analysis situates Likpakpaln within its genealogical and areal context while providing new typological perspectives on the Mabia languages as a whole.

Обработка зрительной вербальной информации в условиях чтения и категоризации слов в составе одного согласованного словосочетания

The purpose of this study was to identify neurophysiological differences in information processing by the brain during passive reading and semantic categorization of individual words within a phrase. Materials and methods. The research involved 25 natural science students of Nizhny Novgorod universities. In the course of the experiment, the subjects were presented with word combinations consisting of an attribute and a noun on a computer monitor. In the first series of presentations, the task was to classify the attribute (target condition) and read the noun (non-target condition), in the second, to classify the noun and read the attribute. This allowed us to assess the restructuring of information processing when changing the task within a phrase, as well as to compare the processing of the word in the first and second positions in the target and non-target conditions. Using the 21-channel Neuron-Spectrum-4/VPM electroencephalograph (Neurosoft, Russia), event-related potentials (ERPs) obtained during the response to presented stimuli were recorded. Results. No differences were observed in attribute processing between the target and non-target conditions when tasks changed. For nouns, differences were revealed in ERP components between the target and non-target conditions. There was a more pronounced peak of the P200 component, a less pronounced peak of the N400 and a late negative wave of the N700 component during the categorization of nouns compared to their passive reading. Thus, when performing different tasks within a phrase, the brain changes the nature of verbal information processing, which is manifested in strengthening early lexical access, followed by the facilitation of lexico-semantic processing and activation of cognitive control mechanisms at the latest stages during the categorization of the second word in a phrase (noun) compared to its passive reading.

ВЫДЕЛЕНИЕ АБСТРАКТНЫХ СУЩЕСТВИТЕЛЬНЫХ КАК ПОДКЛАССА ИМЕН СУЩЕСТВИТЕЛЬНЫХ

The article discusses the classification of nouns and the allocation of abstract nouns according to various criteria