Subject: books on semantics

john benjamins publishing would like to call your attention to the following new title in the field of semantics : nominal classification in aboriginal australia marc harvey & nicholas reid ( eds . ) university of newcastle / university of new england 1997 . x , 296 pp . studies in language companion series , 37 us / canada : hb : 1 55619 848 5 price : usd 89 . 00 rest of the world : hb : 90 272 3040 4 price : nlg 178 , - - this volume aims to extend both the range of analyses and the database on nominal classification systems . previous analyses of nominal classification systems have focused on two areas : the semantics of the classification system and the role of the system in discourse . in many nominal classification systems , there appear to be a significant percentage of nominals with an arbitrary classification . there is a considerable body of literature aimed at elucidating the semantic bases of classification in such systems , thereby reducing the degree of apparent arbitrariness . contributors to this volume continue this line of enquiry , but also propose that arbitrariness in itself has a role from a wider socio-cultural perspective . previous analyses of the discourse role of classification systems posit that they play a significant role in referential tracking . for the languages surveyed in this volume , contributors propose that reference instantiation is an equally significant function , and indeed that reference instantiation and tracking cannot be properly divided from one another . this volume provides detailed information on classification in a number of northern australian languages , whose systems are otherwise poorly known . contents : introduction ; nominal classification and gender in aboriginal australia ; new guinea ' classificatory verbs ' and australian noun classification : a typological comparison ; head classes and agreement classes in the mayali dialect chain ; head and agreement classes : an areal perspective ; class and classifier in ngan ' gityemerri ; nominal classification in marrithiyel ; noun classes , nominal classification and generics in murrinhpatha . contributions by : mark harvey ; nicholas reid ; fransesca merlin ; steve powell robert ; alan rumsey ; nicholas evans ; ian green ; michael walsh . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - bernadette martinez - keck tel : ( 215 ) 836-1200 publicity / marketing fax : ( 215 ) 836-1204 john benjamins north america e-mail : bernie @ benjamins . com po box 27519 philadelphia pa 19118-0519 check out the john benjamins web site : http : / / www . benjamins . com
