SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This chapter compares data from a range of Atlantic languages with respect to noun class semantics. Despite the abundance of complex and typologically interesting noun class features attested in Atlantic languages, many of these features have not received much scientific attention. One objective of this chapter is to flag characteristics that are typical for Atlantic languages but might be atypical when seen from a broader Niger-Congo perspective. It will be shown how semantic domains such as animacy, liquids, shape, locations, and various botanical domains structure the distribution of nouns across the various classes marked on the noun or through noun class agreement. Typologically unusual phenomena such as collective noun classes, the semantics of plural marking outside of the noun class system, consonant alternation, and adverbial use of noun class in what is here termed as ‘absolute use’ of noun class are discussed separately and in more detail. Another subsection is dedicated to noun class in language contact situations, where issues of noun class borrowing and loan integration are discussed. From a theoretical perspective a constructional approach is proposed as able to describe the semantics of complex Atlantic noun class systems. Lexical roots and noun class morphology are considered to have some extent of autonomy in terms of semantics and distribution. From a semantic point of view, the formation of nouns is better understood as an act of derivation or even composition, with the semantics of the resulting noun being a combination of root and noun class semantics.