tailieunhanh - Comparative study of Newar and Japanese classifiers

This paper compares and contrasts the numeral classifier systems of two genetically unrelated languages: Newar of Kathmandu and “Hyoujungo”, Japanese spoken in Tokyo, the defacto official language of Japan. | COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NEWAR AND JAPANESE CLASSIFIERS Arun Shrestha ABSTRACT This paper compares and contrasts the numeral classifier systems of two genetically unrelated languages New ar of Kathmandu and Hyoujungo Japanese spoken in Tokyo the defacto official language of Japan. It is not the case either in Newar or in Japanese that nouns in general can be directly quantified by a number. For example in Newar one cannot say ni che two house Two houses for two houses . Rather one must say ni-kha che two-CL house Two houses . The noun che house requires that the numeral classifier -kha be affixed to numerals used for counting houses. One might say that che house is not conceived of as a separate countable entity. Only when the unit -kha CL is suffixed to the number do we have a countable entity. Numeral classifiers The choice of noun determines the choice of classifier both in Newari and in Japanese. By looking at the nouns associated with a given classifier it is possible to identify the way in which a noun selects its classifier. In Newar there are three different ways in which nouns select their classifiers 1 according to semantic parameters as when sentient nouns select the classifier -mha 2 by unique lexical collocation as when che house selects -kha CL and 3 by full or partial reduplication as when ha leaf selects the head noun ha itself where as salakhwa horse s hoof selects -khwa only the latter portion of the head noun Hale 2005 . These modes can be taken as the basis for a three-term typology of classifier selection 1 semantic selection 2 lexical selection and 3 morphological selection. This paper provides a detailed comparison of Newar and Japanese classifiers within each of these three types of selection. Though all three types are attested in each language there are mutual counterparts and skewings between the two languages. INTRODUCTION Japanese and Newar though genetically unrelated do share a typological feature in that both are classifier languages. .

• Ngôn ngữ học
• Newar and Japanese classifiers
• Numeral classifier systems
• Genetically unrelated languages
• Newar of Kathmandu
• Japanese spoken in Tokyo
• Defacto official language of Japan