Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Preliminaries
Chapter 2: Noun Class and Gender Systems
Chapter 3: Noun Classifiers
Chapter 4: Numeral Classifiers
Chapter 5: Classifiers in Possessive Constructions
Chapter 6: Verbal Classifiers
Chapter 7: Locative and Deictic Classifiers
Chapter 8: Different Classifier Types in One Language
Chapter 9: Multiple Classifier Languages
Chapter 10: Classifiers and Other Grammatical Categories
Chapter 11: Semantics of Noun Categorization Devices
Chapter 12: Semantic Organization and Functions of Noun Categorization
Chapter 13: Origin and Development of Noun Categorization Devices
Chapter 14: Noun Categorization Devices in Language Acquisition and Dissolution
Chapter 15: Conclusions
Appendix 1: Noun Categorization by Means Other than Classifiers
Appendix 2: From Nouns to Classifiers: Further Examples of Semantic Change
Appendix 3: Fieldworker's Guide to Classifier Languages

About the Author

Alexandra Aikhenvald is Professor of Linguistics and Deputy Director of the Research Centre for Linguistic Typology at La Trobe University. She was a Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR 1980-89, and Professor of Linguistics at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, until 1994

Reviews

a real treasure...highly stimulating. Thomas Stolz, Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung Aikhenvald's book is the most comprehensive and dependable guide available - it is unique Terry Malone, SIL International Book Reviews The most thorough attempt to date on noun categorization devices. It surveys about 500 languages which the author claims is one-tenth of all languages. Language