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Gender

Gender. Maarten Mous. Semantic aspects of gender. Male / Female Agentives (but) Male / Female singulatives of animals/people. Not semantically based. examples of “wrong” gender m/f in multiple reference various values for gender for similar concepts (e.g. gourds). Semantic effects. size

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Gender

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  1. Gender Maarten Mous

  2. Semantic aspects of gender • Male / Female Agentives (but) • Male / Female singulatives of animals/people

  3. Not semantically based • examples of “wrong” gender • m/f in multiple reference • various values for gender for similar concepts (e.g. gourds)

  4. Semantic effects • size • endearment / pejoration • significance

  5. Meaning of shift to feminine • diminutive • endearment / pejoration • insignificant

  6. Meaning of shift to feminine Similar functions in neighbouring Omotic, Semitic of Ethiopia, including Amharic.

  7. Example of Western OromoClamons (1992: 69) • asmall number of lexically specified words have invariant gender (m) or (f); • the rest of the words are variable in gender; • if the referent is sexed, its sex will determine its gender;

  8. Example of Western Oromo • if the referent is not sexed, unmarked gender is partly determined by the quality of the final vowel: • nouns ending in non-low vowels are (f), those ending in low vowels or consonant are (m) • but the other gender may be used expressively; • anumber of the nouns in the remaining category have an unmarked gender that is not predictable on the basis of formal properties and have to be lexically specified • still these too may shift in gender for expressive purposes.

  9. The meaning of (p) • In some languages all (p) nouns are m.r.; all m.r. nouns are (p). Or (p) is semantically predictable: Agaw, Dullay. • Oromo verb agreement of m.r. nouns is (p) or (f); (f) for collective • Option of semantic agreement of (p) on the verb for (m/f) nouns in some languages (Alagwa, partly Somali) • (p) agreement on the verb for the resolution of gender conflict in coordinated subject noun phrase

  10. The meaning of (p):Underived (p) nouns (Alagwa) • Plural words daaqaay (p) ‘children’ tikay (p) ‘women, wives’ yawa (p) ‘cattle’ aaraa (p) ‘goats’ baaluu (p) ‘days’ • Liquids and collectives ilba (p) ‘milk’ mintsartú (p) ‘fresh (of milk)’ ma'ay (p) ‘water’ qubu (p) ‘hair’ • Time xwa'i (p) ‘evening’ amasi (p) ‘night’ aansí (p) ‘former times’ piray (p) ‘night till dawn’ matlatlee (p) ‘morning’ • Geographical concepts tsiindo (p) ‘west’ aluu (p) ‘behind’ pahaa (p) ‘valley’ rawa (p) ‘top, sky’ tsee/aa (p) ‘savanna, grassland’

  11. The meaning of (p):Underived (p) nouns (Alagwa) The rest: • fayee (p) ‘marriage settlement, bride price’ • kwa/u (p) ‘house of many poles (?)’ • neetla (p) ‘devil’ • tse/era (p) ‘healed wound’ • umpumáy (p) ‘small-pox’

  12. Bantu noun class system Establishment/definition

  13. Main characteristics pervasive agreement overt singular / plural pairing few roots in multiple classes class membership is reconstructable

  14. Semantic aspects semantic agreement with human/animate derivation within the noun class system association in form / meaning

  15. Semantic aspects: derivation Shift to class n for diminutive, to class m for augmentative Shift to class 14 for abstract concepts Other semantic distribution: land/language/people; fruit/tree Positioning into class r for verbal noun Shift to (empty) class 16,17,18 for concepts of location Shift to other class for plural

  16. Semantic aspects: what remains Characterisation of tendencies: long/thin in 11 tree like things in 7 liquids in 6 round in 5 These are reminiscent of functions of numeral classifiers. Synchronic value difficult to determine.

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