Copulas - Universals in the Categorization of the Lexicon

Informationen zum Autor Regina Pustethas a Ph.D. in General Linguistics from the University of Cologne. She teaches at the University of Munich. Her research activities have focused on various aspects of functional-typological language theory, such as case marking and lexical categorization, and include descriptive work especially on Native American languages. Klappentext Copulas (in English, the verb to be) are conventionally defined functionally as a means of relating elements of clause structure, especially subject and complement, and considered to be semantically empty or meaningless. Dr Pustet presents an analysis of grammatical descriptions of over 160 languages drawn from the language families of the world. She shows that some languages have a single copula, others several, and some none at all. She links the distribution ofcopulas to variations in lexical categorization and syntactic structure. She advances a comprehensive theory of copularization which she relates to language classification and to theories of language change, notably grammaticalization. Zusammenfassung Presents an analysis of grammatical descriptions of over 160 languages drawn from the language families of the world. Here, the author advances a comprehensive theory of copularization, which she relates to language classification and to theories of language change, notably grammaticalization.

Product details

• Authors: Regina Pustet, Regina (University of Munich) Pustet
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 05.05.2005
• EAN: 9780199281800
• ISBN: 978-0-19-928180-0
• No. of pages: 278
• Series: Oxford Studies in Typology and Linguistic Theory; Oxford Studies in Typology and; Oxford Studies in Typology and Linguistic Theory; Oxford Studies in Typology and
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies