Word Classes: Nature, typology and representations(332 Current Issues in Linguistic Theory)

The universal and typological status of the notion of word class — closely related to part-of-speech systems, morphology, syntax and the lexicon-syntax interface — continues to be of major linguistic theoretical interest. The papers included in this volume offer a fresh look at the variety of current theoretical and descriptive approaches to word class issues, and present original analyses and new data from a number of languages. The primary focus is on methods (including computational ones) and criteria for identifying and representing major word classes and subclasses in specific languages, with considerable attention also directed towards the characterization of the nature and role of minor — or neglected — word classes, including trans-categorization processes. The range of topics and perspectives covered makes this volume of considerable interest to both theoretical linguists and typologists.

Table of Contents:
1. Foreword and acknowledgements; 2. Introduction: New approaches to old Word Class issues (by Simone, Raffaele); 3. PART I. Types of word classes; 4. Carving verb classes from corpora (by Lenci, Alessandro); 5. Classes of creation verbs (by Jezek, Elisabetta); 6. On Light Nouns (by Simone, Raffaele); 7. The 'new adjectives' of Tswana (by Creissels, Denis); 8. The Chinese adjective as a word class (by Arcodia, Giorgio F.); 9. Qualifying modifier encoding and adjectival typology (by Alfieri, Luca); 10. PART II. Minor and neglected word classes; 11. Hungarian is a classifier language (by Csirmaz, Aniko); 12. Cardinal numerals: A syntax-semantics interface analysis (by Pannain, Rossella); 13. On the borders of neglected word classes: From preverbs to 'satellites' via adverbs and particles (by Sores, Anna); 14. PART III. Across word classes; 15. Between adjective and noun: Category/function mismatch, constructional overrides and coercion (by Lauwers, Peter); 16. On decategorization and its relevance in German (by Gaeta, Livio); 17. PART IV. Radical views: Do we really need word classes?; 18. Word-class features and reduplicative meaning: The case of Modern Greek (by Kallergi, Haritini); 19. Half and other unique words: Corpus patterns and lexicalist syntax (by Janssen, Maarten); 20. Index of languages; 21. Index of names; 22. Index of subjects

Review :
[T]he book will be welcome to all who are looking for empirical testing grounds for their categorization theories. Many of the gradual (and not so gradual) linguistic distinctions underlying the categories presented here will hopefully lay one simplistic assumption to rest: A handful of 'word classes' handed down from antiquity will not help us in defining satisfactory linguistic theories. Given the lack of attention this important fact often recieves, this is a very welcome result indeed. Given that word classes have been treated numerous times in modern linguistics, this volume might at first sight appear to be an unremarkable and perhaps unnecessary addition to the pile. However, such an assumption would be terribly misguided. Much of the research reported in the volume is groundbreaking and provides new insights into the increasingly complex world of word classes. Several contributions in the book cover aspects of word classes that have either not been addressed before or which have not received much attention. In this respect, the book as a whole constitutes an important contribution to the study of word classes.