The morpho-syntax of classifier systems in Indian languages

The Morpho-Syntax ofClassifiers in (three) IndianLanguages: The Mass/CountDistinctionAyesha KidwaiJawaharlal Nehru UniversityJoyshree SutradharJawaharlal Nehru University and C-DAC PuneOutline of the Talk Formulating the problematic Noun/numeral classifier systems The Count/Mass distinction and the case ofBangla The proposal: A feature-based approach tonumeral classifiers An implementation: Assamese The strange case of Tagin (a Tani language ofArunachal Pradesh)Noun/numeral classifiersystemsNoun ClassificationNoun categorization devices are morphemes that occur insurface structures under specifiable condi tions, and denotesome salient perceived or imputed characteristics of the entityto which an associated noun refers (Allan, 1977: 285).Three broad types can be distinguished:NOUN CLASS SYSTEMS: Each noun in the language belongs to oneor the other class. Some constituent outside the noun agrees inclass with it.NOUN CLASSIFIER SYSTEMS: These are often independent words(with generic semantics) that typically mark distinctions along thelines of humans, flora, fauna, natural objects, artefacts, food(flesh/vegetable), edibility, potability, kinship, and other culturallyimportant concepts.Numeral ClassifiersNumeral classifiers are morphemes that only appear next to anumeral , or a quantifier categorize the referent of a noun in terms ofits animacy, physical or functional properties, and cultural elements.A quantifying expression is a numeral classifier IFF it fills an obligatoryslot in the numeral-noun construction.Numeral classifier languages lack a number (SG/PL) distinction. Aclassifier, therefore, implies that the object(s) referred to are countablein the sense that the speaker intends them to be enumerated.Each noun in the language does not have to be associated with anumeral classifier. Some nouns take no classifier at all; and somenouns take more than one classifier, depending on which property ofthe noun’s referent is in focus.ONTOLOGY‘N, ETC.’HUMANCOLLECTIVE+COUNT+MASSDEFAULTThe distribution of BanglaNumeral ClassifiersCLArajongulokhanakhaniʈaEXAMPLELily-ra ‘Lily etc’lok-jon ‘people’chele-gulo ‘the boys’ɖi:m- khana ‘egg’tel khani ‘some oil’boi-ʈa ‘the book’EXAMPLE*tin-ra cheletin-jon lok ‘3 persons’*tin-gulo chele ‘3 boys’tin-khana ɖi:m ‘3 eggs’*tin-khani tel ‘3 oils’car-ʈe boi ‘4 books’boi car-ʈe ‘the 4 books’1

Assamese CLA: DistributionalPropertiesONTOLOGY‘N, ETC.’HumanCollective+Count+MASSDEFAULTCLAhotjan, janietcbur,bilaakkhanetckhinitaa, to,tiEXAMPLEDeka-hot ‘Deka etc’manuh-jon ‘the man’lora-bur ‘the boys’kitaap- khan ‘the book’tel khini ‘some oil’lora-to ‘the boy’*e-to lorae-ta lora ‘a boy’*lora-taaEXAMPLE*tini-hot loraatini-jan manuh ‘3men’*tini-bur lora ‘3 boys’tini-khan kitaap ‘3books’*tini-khini tel ‘3 oils’sari-ta kitaap ‘4 books’kitaap sari-ta ‘the 4books’Assamese CLA: Distributional Properties Assamese CLA can bemapped to these 4semantic classes. All [+QNT] CLAs moveto Num. Moved CLA along withNum/Q yields [-definite]interpretation, while NPpre-posing over Numyields [+definite]interpretation.hotjanburkhankhinitoCUM±-±-±±QNT-+-+-±HUM++±-±±ANM+-±-±±Classifier RaisingClassifier raising is triggered by a [+QNT] and[+definiteness] feature value.Strong quantifiers like sɔb, kimaan, ɔtɔ, gutei attract[±CUM, ±QNT, ±ANM, ±HUM] classifiers.Indefinite quantifiers like kei requires another IndefiniteCLA maan to get right cliticised to the +QNT Classifier.Weak quantifiers kisu, ɔlɔp, ɔkɔn do not attract a classifierthat is valued for cumulativity or quantization. Only theIndefinite CLA maan gets attached to it. But it is not basegenerated with the Head N like other CLA.Quantifier Distribution in AssameseQxakalo‘allall’guteikei ‘somesome’Kisu‘somesome’Ŧlɔp(few)CUM±±±++HUM+±±±-QNT-±±--ANM+±±±-CLAxakalo-bur manuhxakalo-khini manuhgutei-khini manuhgutei-khan kitaapkei-jan-maan manuhkei-taa-maan aamkei-jan manuh ‘howmany man’Kisu-maan manuhŦlɔp-maan paaniLight Nouns in Assamese &QuantificationThere is a group of nouns in Assamese which neitheroperate at purely functional or lexical level.Relation between quantification and definitenessmarking involving these kind of nominal expressionsneeds highlighting.Assamese nouns, unlike their Bangla counterpart,contains a strong formal feature which make themmove to Q-head and Spec of QP for checking itsspecificity feature (examples in next slide).Comparison of Assamese and BanglaBangla ek glas jol [-def] du glas jol [-def] * jol-glas * jol du-glasAssamese ek-koloh paani [-def] du-koloh paani [-def] paani koloh [+def] paani du-koloh [+def]5

Thank Youayesha.kidwai@gmail.comjoyshree@gmail.com6