Abstract
I argue for three basic classes of nominals, based on the (non)-relation they encode; (i) alienable nouns, which have no inherent relation, but gain an underspecified ‘R’ relation when possessed (Higginbotham, Linguistic Inquiry, 14, 305–420, 1983); (ii) relational nouns, which have an inherent relation, defined as an ‘R’ relation restricted by the lexical meaning of the head noun (Barker, Possessive descriptions. CSLI: California, USA, 1995; Burton, Six issues to consider when choosing a husband. Doctoral Dissertation, Rutgers, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1995); and (iii) inalienable nouns, which also have an inherent relation, defined as a material part-whole relation (Link, Algebraic semantics for linguistics and philosophy. CSLI: California, USA, 1998). I then consider evidence from the Algonquian language Plains Cree, which overtly distinguishes all three subclasses of nominals.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahenakew, F. (Ed.). (1989). kiskinahamawâkan-âcimowinisa, Algonquian and Iroquoian Linguistics 2, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Barker C. (1995). Possessive descriptions. Stanford, CSLI
Blain E. (1995). Emphatic wîya in Plains Cree. In: Pentland D. (eds) Papers of the 26th Algonquian conference. Winnipeg, University of Manitoba Press, pp. 22–35
Bloomfield L. (1962) The Menomini language. Yale University Press, New Haven
Burton, S. (1995). Six issues to consider when choosing a husband, PhD Dissertation, Rutgers University.
Cook, C. (2006). Distinguishing modes in Plains Cree. Paper presented at the 38th Algonquian conference, October 2006, Vancouver, BC.
Chomsky N. (1995) The minimalist program. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.
Dahlstrom A.L. (1991) Plains Cree morphosyntax. Garland, New York
Déchaine, R.-M. (1999). What Algonquian morphology is really like: Hockett revisited. In L. Bar-el, R.-M. Déchaine, & C. Reinholtz (Eds.), Proceedings from the workshop on the structure and constituency of native American languages (pp. 25–72). MIT Occasional Papers in Linguistics 17, Cambridge, Mass.
Déchaine, R.-M., & Reinholtz, C. (1997). Direct/inverse as case-licensing. Paper presented at the workshop on the structure and constituency of the languages of the Americas, Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, March 1997, Regina, Saskatchewan.
Déchaine R.-M., & Wiltschko M. (2002) Decomposing pronouns. Linguistic Inquiry 33: 409–440
Dion J. (1979). In: Dempsey H.A. (eds) My tribe the Crees. Calgavy Aberta, Glenbow-Alberta Institute, pp. 11–2
Faries R., & Watkins E. A. (1938) A dictionary of the Cree Language. Anglican Book Center, Toronto
Goddard, I. (1967). The Algonquian independent indicative. In Bulletin 214: Contributions to anthropology: LinguisticsI (pp. 66–106). Ottawa: National Museum of Canada.
Higginbotham J. (1983) Logical form, binding, and nominals. Linguistic Inquiry 14: 305–420
Hirose, T. (2000). Origins of predicates: Evidence from Plains Cree, PhD dissertation, The University of British Columbia.
Jensen P.A., Vikner C. (2004) The English prenominal genitive and lexical semantics. In: Kim Y.-Y.et al. (eds) Possessives and beyond: Semantics and syntax. CLSI, Amherst, Mass. pp. 3-27
Junker M.O. (2003) East Cree dependent nouns and disjoint reference. Algonquian and Iroquoian Linguistics 28: 11–13
Kâ-pimwêwêhahk (1998). In H. C. Wolfart & F. Ahenakew (Eds.), The counseling speeches of Kâ-Nipitêhtêw. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press.
Lévy-Bruhl L. (1914) ‘L’expression de la possession dans les langues mélanésiennes. Mémoire de la Société de Linguistique de Paris 19(2): 96–104
Link G. (1983). The logical analysis of plurals and mass terms: A lattice-theoretical approach. In: Bäuerle R. et al. (eds) Meaning, use, and interpretation of language. Berlin, Springer-Verlag, pp. 302–323
Link G. (1998) Algebraic semantics for linguistics and philosophy. CSLI Publications, Stanford
Mandelbaum, D. (1979). The Plains Cree, Regina, Saskatchewan Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina.
Mülbauer, J. (2004). Three kinds of nominals in Nehiyawewin. In Y. Roberge, M. McGinnis, & M.-O. Junker (Eds.), Proceedings from the 2004 Canadian linguistics association. http:// ling.uwo.ca/publications/CLA-ACL/CLA-ACL2004.htm.
Mühlbauer, J. (2006). How does it feel to be obviative?Paper presented at the 38th Algonquian Conference, October, 2006, Vancouver, BC.
Vergnaud J.-R., & Zubizaretta M. L. (1992) The definite determiner and the inalienable constructions in French and English. LI 23: 595–665
Wolfart, H. C. (1973). Plains Cree: A grammatical study. American Philosophical Society Transactions 63, Philadelphia.
Wolfart, H. C., & Ahenakew, F. (1998). The student’s dictionary of literary Plains Cree. Algonquian and Iroquoian Linguistics, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba.
Wolvengrey, A. (2001). Nēhiýawēwin: Itwēwina, Canadian Plains Research Center, Regina, Saskatchewan.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Many thanks to Wally Awsis, Oladiipo Ajiboye, Solveiga Armoskaite, Beatrice Bullshields, Melinda Bullshields, Strang Burton, Toni Cardinal, Clare Cook, Rita Daniels, Henry Davis, Rose-Marie Déchaine, Joseph Deschamps, Roy Louis, Lisa Matthewson, Tom McCallum, Hotze Rullmann, Josephine Small,Dorothy Thunder, Martina Wiltschko, H.C. Wolfart and an anonymous reviewer for their insights and guidance. Thanks also to audiences at ACAL, the Algonquian Conference, theCLA, WSCLA, and UBC. This work has been supported by the Phillips Fund, the Jacobs Fund, The University of British Columbia Graduate Fellowship, and SSHRC grant #492-17-0016 (A.-M. DiSciullo P.I., R.-M. Déchaine C.I.). While not all ideas are my own, all mistakes definitely are.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mühlbauer, J. Evidence for three distinct nominal classes in Plains Cree. Nat Lang Semantics 15, 167–186 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11050-007-9016-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11050-007-9016-9