Synopses & Reviews
A distinguished international group of scholars analyze the concept of "word" and its applicability in a range of typologically diverse languages. The languages include Amazonian, Australian Aboriginal, Eskimo, Native North American, West African, Balkan, Caucasian and Indo-Pakistani Sign Language. They exhibit a great range of phonological, morphological and grammatical characteristics, enabling the contributors to refine the definition of a "word" against this broad linguistic landscape. The book is of interest to scholars of linguistic typology and of morphology.
Review
"This book offers a wealth of information on the status of the 'word' in a typologically and geographically diverse set of languages, both oral and signed...[E]xcellent." Studies in the Linguistic Sciences
Synopsis
Discusses the concept 'word' and its applicability in a range of typologically diverse languages.
About the Author
R. M. W. Dixon is Director and Associate Director of the Research Centre for Linguistic Typology at La Trobe University.Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald is Director and Associate Director of the Research Centre for Linguistic Typology at La Trobe University.
Table of Contents
List of contributors; Preface; List of abbreviations; 1. Word: a typological framework R. M. W. Dixon and Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald; 2. Typological parameters for the study of clitics, with special reference to Tariana Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald; 3. The word in Cup'ik Anthony C. Woodbury; 4. The word in Eastern/Central Arrernte John Henderson; 5. The eclectic morphology of Jarawara, and the status of word R. M. W. Dixon; 6. Towards a notion of 'word' in sign languages Ulrike Zeshan; 7. Synchronic and diachronic perspective on 'word' in Siouan Robert Rankin, John Boyle, Randolph Graczyk and John Koontz; 8. What is a word in Dagbani Knut J. Olawksy; 9. The word in Georgian Alice C. Harris; 10. The word in Modern Greek Brian Joseph; 11. What can we conclude? P. H. Matthews; Index of authors; Index of languages and language families; Index of subjects.