Contiguity and membership and the typology of collective nouns

J. Zwarts

doi:10.18148/sub/2020.v24i2.915

Contiguity and membership and the typology of collective nouns

J. Zwarts

ILS - Language, logic and information

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

In the semantics of human collective nouns there are two mechanisms at work, leading to distinct types of collectivity. The collectivity of ‘crowds’ is based on the contiguity of its elements, while the contiguity of ‘clubs’ is based on membership in a social institution. This proposal strengthens and unifies earlier proposals about the nature and typology of collective nouns; it accounts for a range of new and old observations about the variety of collective nouns and it connects to recent insights in the study of collective reference more generally.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of Sinn Und Bedeutung, 24(2)
Editors	Michael Franke, Nikola Kompa, Mingya Liu, Jutta L. Mueller, Juliane Schwab
Place of Publication	Osnabrück/Berlin
Publisher	University of Osnabrück/University of Berlin
Pages	539-554
Volume	24
ISBN (Print)	2629-6055
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.18148/sub/2020.v24i2.915
Publication status	Published - 29 Sept 2020

Keywords

collectivity
contiguity
membership

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10.18148/sub/2020.v24i2.915

915-Article Text-1665-1-10-20200929Final published version, 1.69 MB

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title = "Contiguity and membership and the typology of collective nouns",

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Contiguity and membership and the typology of collective nouns. / Zwarts, J.
Proceedings of Sinn Und Bedeutung, 24(2). ed. / Michael Franke; Nikola Kompa; Mingya Liu; Jutta L. Mueller; Juliane Schwab. Vol. 24 Osnabrück/Berlin: University of Osnabrück/University of Berlin, 2020. p. 539-554.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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DO - 10.18148/sub/2020.v24i2.915

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 2629-6055

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A2 - Kompa, Nikola

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Contiguity and membership and the typology of collective nouns

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Keywords

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