Wierzbicka, Anna (2000). Lexical prototypes as a universal basis for cross-linguistic identification of “parts of speech”. In Petra M. Vogel, & Bernard Comrie (Eds.), Approaches to the typology of word classes (pp. 285-318). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110806120.285
Abstract:
According to the hypothesis outlined in this paper, so-called ‘parts of speech’ can be defined and compared across languages on the basis of certain universal exemplars. It is interesting to note, however, that the approach based on exemplars can be combined, to some extent, with considerations based on universal syntax — that is, on combinatorial and substitutional properties of classes based on lexical universals. On the basis of the present cursory examination of the traditional parts of speech, and of some of their modern extensions, it is hypothesized that word classes with a wider typological significance can always be expected to have some universal syntactic properties. The most important point, however, is that to be an effective tool in the description and comparison of languages, the metalanguage of linguistics must be based on empirically established linguistic universals; this applies to parts of speech as much as to any other aspect of linguistic typology and linguistic description.
Translations:
Into Russian:
Chapter 4 (pp. 134-170) of Вежбицкая, Анна (1999), Семантические универсалии и описание языков [Semantic universals and the description of languages]. Москва [Moscow]: Языки русской культуры [Languages of Russian Culture].
Chapter 7 (pp. 216-254) of Вежбицкая, Анна (2011), Семантические универсалии и базисные концепты [Semantic universals and basic concepts]. Москва [Moscow]: Языки славянских культуры [Languages of Slavic Culture].
Rating:
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
