All Questions
Tagged with gender noun-classes
8 questions
20
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3
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Since when did Indo-European languages start associating noun genders with male/female sexes?
Since what point in time did noun classes in Indo-European languages become associated with the sexes?
I read that greek/latin used words that translate to "kind" to describe the noun ...
user31190
16
votes
5
answers
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Do any Indo European languages reflect noun class types other than gender?
In the comments of another question about animate as noun gender in some Slavic languages an interesting point was raised.
Many if not most Indo European languages exhibit grammatical gender for ...
- 14.8k
10
votes
2
answers
1k
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Who was the first to call noun classes "genders"?
I'm not asking about the origin of grammatical gender. I am asking where is the earliest example of the term "gender" used to describe classes of nouns. I'm wondering who first decided to name ...
- 129
5
votes
1
answer
354
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What is the function of a gender distinction in nouns?
In German and some other languages, I understand there are different forms of the definite article 'the' depending on the gender of the noun. Also personal pronouns have different forms depending on ...
- 433
5
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1
answer
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How exactly are noun classes different to classifiers?
Before the beta I would've thought questions like this one would be such basic concepts that most contributors would be familiar with them. But after a few questions on gender and animacy it seems ...
- 14.8k
3
votes
1
answer
81
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Do any languages assign gender to inanimate objects based on material properties like flexibility instead of shape?
In the Palikur language of Brazil, inanimate objects that are solid and strong all have feminine gender, while objects that are soft, fragile or flexible have neuter gender. (There are no inanimate ...
- 131
2
votes
3
answers
888
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Which languages have three noun classes corresponding to men, women and a third gender?
Which languages have three noun classes corresponding to men, women and a third gender? Where can I find lists like this?
- 23
1
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0
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Any old noun class system without chaotic formal/ semantic assignment
When noun class/gender system gets old, the semantic/formal assignment rules of the noun class become more opaque/unreliable because of loanwords and erosion of (derivational) suffixes and etc.
eg. in ...
- 374