The implicational hierarchy of semantic distinctions for noun class systems: Animacy is involved in all noun class systems. Human/Animate noun classes primarily distinguish sex gender. Nonhuman/Inanimate classes are further devided in terms of Nature and Individuation.
Standardized
IF there are noun class distinctions for anything else, THEN there is a noun class distinction in terms of animacy. IF for humans/animates there are distinctions other than for sex gender, THEN there is a distinction in terms of sex gender. IF or nonhumans/inanimates there are distinctions other than Nature or Individuation, THEN there is a distinction in terms of Nature or Individuation.
Keywords
noun class, animacy
Domain
inflection, syntax, semantics
Type
implication
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute?
Basis
noun class languages and relevant literature analyzed by Croft 1994
Most of the secondary literature on classifier semantics, claims that shape is a significant semantic distiction in noun class systems. However, the putative examples are few, and are all dubious or have natural diachronic explanations. Instead, W. Croft argues that shape does NOT play a role in noun class systems, and hence noun class systems are much more different from numeral classifier systems in their semantics than is generally assumed (Croft 1994: 148). For semantic distinctions in numeral classifier systems see # 1621.
Most of the secondary literature on classifier semantics, claims that shape is a significant semantic distiction in noun class systems. However, the putative examples are few, and are all dubious or have natural diachronic explanations. Instead, W. Croft argues that shape does NOT play a role in noun class systems, and hence noun class systems are much more different from numeral classifier systems in their semantics than is generally assumed (Croft 1994: 148). For semantic distinctions in numeral classifier systems see # 1621.