Gender

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Gender
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Greville G. Corbett
SeriesCambridge Textbooks in Linguistics
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:384
Dimensions(mm): Height 227,Width 151
Category/Genrelinguistics
ISBN/Barcode 9780521338455
ClassificationsDewey:415
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations Worked examples or Exercises

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 26 April 1991
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Gender is a fascinating category, central and pervasive in some languages and totally absent in others. In this new, overall account of gender systems, over 200 languages are discussed, from English and Russian to Archi and Chichewa. More detailed analysis of individual languages provides clear illustrations of specific types of systems. Gender distinction is often based on sex; sometimes this is only one criterion and the gender of nouns depends on other factors (thus "house" is masculine in Russian, feminine in French and neuter in Tamil). On occasion there are equivalent distinctions such as human/non-human, animate/inanimate, where sex is irrelevant.