| Title: | On classifiers and proper names |
| Author: | Alexandra Cornilescu |
| Publication: | Bucharest Working Papers in Linguistics, IX (1) |
| p-ISSN: | 2069-9239 |
| Publisher: | Universitatea din București |
| Place: | București |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Abstract: | The paper discusses the functional structure of proper names (PNs) in relation to descriptive PNs, verbs of naming, and non-literal uses of PNs. We propose that the functional structure of PNs includes not only a D [+def, j, +Person], but also a qualitative classifier. This proposal reflects the intuition that a complete understanding of a PN requires identifying the kind of entity that it names. The hypothesis of a classifier in the functional structure of PNs provides a natural analysis for descriptive PNs (e.g. Regina Victoria) since, with descriptive PNs, the otherwise silent classifier head is overt. Secondly, we argue that in the naming constructions PNs are mentioned, not used. The function is signalled by the presence of a [name] classifier in the structure of the PN. This analysis allows us to treat PNs as referring expressions, specifically as constants in all their uses. Finally, classifiers are also helpful in interpreting non-literal uses of PNs, since they mostly involve formation of a new category or class, prototypically represented by the literal referent of the PN. The information supplied by the classifier is instrumental in this type inference. |
| Key words: | proper name, functional structure, naming construction, classifier |
| Links: |  pdf  html |
Citations to this publication: 7
| 7 | Gabriela Pană Dindelegan (ed.) | Sintaxa limbii române vechi | Univers Enciclopedic Gold | 2019 | |
| 6 | Alexandra Cornilescu, Alexandru Nicolae | Classified Proper Names in Old Romanian: Person and Definiteness | DPs, 100 | 2015 | |
| 0 | Alexandra Cornilescu, Alexandru Nicolae | Articol hotărât referenţial vs articol hotărât expletiv. Situaţia numelor proprii | Neamțu, 168 | 2015 | |
| 4 | Raluca Brăescu | O analiză diacronică a construcţiilor apozitive | SIL5, 199-211 | 2015 | |
| 3 | Alexandru Nicolae, Alexandra Cornilescu | Classifying pronouns: The view from Romanian | BWPL, XVI (1) | 2014 | pdf html |
| 1 | Mihaela Tănase-Dogaru | Classifiers of quantity and quality in Romanian | BWPL, XV (2) | 2013 | pdf html |
| 65 | Camelia Stan | O sintaxă diacronică a limbii române vechi | Editura Universităţii | 2013 |
References in this publication: 1
| 26 | Alexandra Cornilescu | Concept of modern grammar A generative grammar perspective | Editura Universității din București | 1995 |
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