Some papers presented at a conference held at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Wassenaar, The Netherlands on 12-3 March, 2009.

• THE DIACHRONY OF CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
• Editorial page
• Title page
• LCC data
• Table of contents
• Preface
• Abbreviations and conventions
• Introduction
  • 1. Background
  • 2. Origins
  • 3. Developments
  • 4. Diffusion
  • 5. Final remarks
  • References
• The semantic reduction of the noun universe and the diachrony of nominal classification
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. A definition of nominal classification
  • 3. The pragmatics of semantic generality
  • 4. Semantic opacity and renewal
    • 4.1 Descriptive content of classifiers, semantically transparent and opaque classification
    • 4.2 From semantically transparent to opaque assignment
    • 4.3 Replacement of opaque classification by transparent classification
  • 5. Differential diffusability of nominal classification
  • 6. Summary and conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
• Niger-Congo numeral classifiers in a diachronic perspective
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. The numeral classifier systems in Niger-Congo
  • 3. Lexical sources and cognitive models of classifiers
    • 3.1 Body parts
    • 3.2 Basic level terms
    • 3.3 Botanical terms
    • 3.4 Terms of aggregation and partition
    • 3.5 Obscure etymology
  • 4. Syntactic sources of classifier constructions
  • 5. Grammaticalization: from noun to classifier
  • 6. Puzzles
  • 7. Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
  • Appendix
• Semantic generalization in Ch’orti’ Mayan numeral classifiers
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Numeral classifiers in Ch’orti’
  • 3. The origin of -kojt and semantic generalization
  • 4. Sources of linguistic data on Ch’orti’
  • 5. The use of -kojt in Ch’orti’
  • 6. A shot in the arm for semantic generalization
  • 7. The further extension of meaning among human referents
  • 8. Discussion
  • 9. A change in momentum
  • 10. Conclusion
  • References
• Diachronic and synchronic aspects of the simplification of grammatical gender in an obsolescent language: The case of Irish
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Irish: Sociolinguistic background and the traditional gender system
    • 2.1 Sociolinguistic status of Irish
    • 2.2 Gender in traditional Irish
  • 3. Methodology
    • 3.1 The data
    • 3.2 Procedure
  • 4. Findings
    • 4.1 Agreement with the article
    • 4.2 Agreement with the adjective
    • 4.3 Pronominal agreement
    • 4.4 Summary
  • 5. Discussion
  • 6. Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
• Numeral classifier systems in the Araxes-Iran linguistic area: Numeral classifier systems in the Araxes-Iran linguistic area
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Overview of numeral classifiers
    • 2.1 Numeral classifiers: forms and meanings
  • 3. Behavior of numeral classifiers
    • 3.1 Usages of numeral classifiers
    • 3.2 Disallowed uses of numeral classifiers
    • 3.3 The numeral ‘1’
    • 3.4 Quantifiers and numeral classifiers
    • 3.5 Obligatory use of numeral classifiers as heads of NPs
  • 4. Diachrony
  • 5. Greenbergian typology
  • 6. Areality and fade-out
  • 7. Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
• The diachrony of Oceanic possessive classifiers
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. The typical Oceanic pattern of attributive possessive constructions
  • 3. The diachrony of the possessive classifiers systems within Oceanic
    • 3.1 The Proto-Oceanic possessive system
    • 3.2 Reductions and expansions in Oceanic possessive systems
    • 3.3 The Polynesian pattern
    • 3.4 Possessive constructions in Oceanic: A brief summary
  • 4. Multiple possessive constructions in non-Oceanic Austronesian languages
  • 4. Multiple possessive constructions in non-Oceanic Austronesian languages
  • 5. Multiple possessive constructions in Papuan languages
  • 6. Summary and conclusions
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
• Development and diffusion of classifier systems in Southwestern Amazonia
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Form and meaning of classifiers
    • 2.1 Kwaza (isolate)
    • 2.2 Kanoê (isolate)
    • 2.3 Aikanã (isolate)
    • 2.4 Movima (isolate)
    • 2.5 Itonama (isolate)
    • 2.6 Lakondê (Northern Nambikwaran)
    • 2.7 Cavineña (Tacanan)
    • 2.8 Arikapu (Jabutian, Macro-Jêan)
    • 2.9 Baure (Southern Arawakan)
    • 2.10 Karo (Ramarama, Tupian)
  • 3. Distribution and functions of classifiers
    • 3.1 Classifiers combined with nominal roots
    • 3.2 Classifiers combined with verbal roots
    • 3.3 Classifiers that function as nominalizers
    • 3.4 Interchangeability of classifiers and nouns
    • 3.5 Generic classifiers and obligatory grammatical slots
    • 3.6 Rare constructions
  • 4. The empty morpheme construction
    • 4.1 Kwaza
    • 4.2 Kanoê
    • 4.3 Aikanã
    • 4.4 Movima
    • 4.5 Lakondê
    • 4.6 Cavineña
    • 4.7 Arikapu
    • 4.8 Baure
  • 5. Discussion
    • 5.1 Classifying forms
    • 5.2 The empty morpheme
    • 5.3 Possessive classifiers
  • 6. Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
• Nominal and verbal classification: A comparative perspective
  • 1. Introduction: Basic idea of the paper
  • 2. Classification and compounding
    • 2.1 Nominal compounds and nominal classification
    • 2.2 Verbal compounds and verbal classification
  • 3. The functional range of verbal and nominal classification
    • 3.1 The functional range of compound-related nominal classification
    • 3.2 The functional range of compound-related verbal classification
    • 3.3 Light verbs and serial verb constructions in the light of verbal classification
  • 4. Why is classification recurrent in the nominal domain and relatively rare in the verbal domain?
    • 4.1 General remarks
    • 4.2 The role of classification in grammatical categories of the noun
    • 4.3 The role of classification in grammatical categories of the verb
  • 5. Conclusion: Some general considerations
  • References
• The diachrony of inflectional classes in four Germanic languages: What happens after transparency is lost
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Prehistory of inflectional classes in Germanic languages
    • 2.1 Prehistory of declensions
    • 2.2 Prehistory of conjugations
  • 3. Reorganization of inflectional classes in four Germanic languages
    • 3.1 Number of classes
    • 3.2 Exponence of inflectional classes
    • 3.3 Conditioning of class membership
  • 4. General discussion
    • 4.1 Declensions versus conjugations
    • 4.2 Refunctionalization
  • 5. Conclusions
  • References
• The history of verb classification in Nyulnyulan languages
  • 1. Introduction
    • 1.1 Aims and purposes
    • 1.2 Nyulnyulan family
  • 2. Features of verbal lexemes and constructions in Nyulnyulan languages
  • 3. Broad comparison of PV-IV collocations in the Nyulnyulan family
    • 3.1 Reflexes of some proto-PVs and their collocating IVs in Nyulnyulan languages
    • 3.1 Reflexes of some proto-PVs and their collocating IVs in Nyulnyulan languages
    • 3.2 Reconstruction of PV-IV pairings in Proto-Nyulnyulan
    • 3.3 PV-IV collocations in other Kimberley languages
  • 4. Comparison of CVC systems
    • 4.1 Semantics of Nyulnyul and Warrwa systems of verb classification
    • 4.2 Comparison of the extensions of the Nyulnyul and Warrwa categories
  • 5. The evolution of verb classification in Nyulnyulan languages
    • 5.1 The Proto-Nyulnyulan CVC as a verb classification system
    • 5.2 Subsequent evolution of verb classification in Nyulnyulan
  • 6. Conclusions
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
• Author index
• Language index
• Subject index