Classifier Constructions in English and Kurdish

Authors

  • Anjuman M. Sabir Department of English Language, College of Education, University of Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region-Iraq.
  • Dyar A. Kamal Department of English Language, College of Education, University of Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region-Iraq.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26436/hjuoz.2019.7.1.467

Keywords:

classifier, non- classifier, counting system, Kurdish

Abstract

Greenberg (1972) in a study based on a sample of about 100 languages with numeral classifiers, attempted to determine the conditions under which anon- classifier language might become a classifier language. Later Hale and Shresthachrya (1973) made their attempts to seek whether Newari is considered as a classifier language or not. The purpose of this study is to analyze the Kurdish classifier system based on the Greenberg (1972) whether Kurdish is a classifier language or not, the paper also compares classifier constructions in English and Kurdish, with the aim of addressing the research questions: what linguistic devices are used in Kurdish and English for classification? How different or similar are classifiers in Kurdish and English as non-classifier language. Classifiers in Kurdish have not been studied extensively and there are not any references available on classifiers of Kurdish in English. Therefore, by considering the classifier system of Kurdish, this study makes attempt to provide an introductory source of analytical research of grammar in Kurdish.   

References

Allan,K.,(1977). “Classifier”.Language53,281-311. Nouns and Countability

Allan,K(1980). “Nouns and Countability ”. Language 56/ 3, 541-567.

Biber, D., S. Johansson, G. Leech, S. Conrad and E. Finegan. (1999). Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. London: Longman.

Brems ,L.(2003). “MeasureNoun Construction: An Instance of Semantically Driven Grammaticalization”: International Journal of Corpus Linguistics 8/2,283-312.

Celce-Murcia,M.and D.Larsen-Freeman (1999). The Grammar Book. Heinle:Heinle .Publishers.

Flowerdew,J.and R.W.Forest. (2015). Signalling Nouns in English :ACorpus –Based Discourse Approach .Cambridge :Cambridge University Press.

Greenberg,J.(1972) “.Numeral Classifiers and Substantival Number :Problems in the Genesis of a Linguistic Type.” Working Papers on Language Universals, 1-39

Hale,A.and I Shresthachrya .(1973). “Is Newari a Classifier Language” Contributions to Nepales Studies1(1):1-21.

Kim,D.H. (2010).A Basic Guide to Kurdish Grammar . Hawler .(Culture and Language Institute of Kurdi and Kori)

Lehrer, A. (1986). “English Classifier Construction”, Lingua 68,109-148.

Lyons, J. (1977).Semantics (1).Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Quirk,R.,S.Greenbaum,G.Leech and J.Svartvik(1985) . A Comprehensive Grammar of the English. London: Longman.

Downloads

Published

2019-03-30

How to Cite

Sabir, A. M., & Kamal, D. A. (2019). Classifier Constructions in English and Kurdish. Humanities Journal of University of Zakho, 7(1), 157–162. https://doi.org/10.26436/hjuoz.2019.7.1.467

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2019): March, 30

Section

Humanities Journal of University of Zakho

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY-NC-SA 4.0] that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work, with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online.