More on the origin of the Indo-European feminine gender : a reply to Ledo-Lemos

Authors

  • Kenneth Shields Millersville University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/linguistica.50.1.241-248

Keywords:

More on the origin of the Indo-European feminine gender, a reply to Ledo-Lemos

Abstract

This brief paper has two related purposes. First, it represents a response to Ledo-Lemos' criticisms (2003) of the theory of the origin of the Indo-European feminine gender presented in Shields (1995 and elsewhere) - a theory based on the established typological principle that demonstratives (in this case, a demonstrative in *a) are key in the emergence of gender systems because of their dual role as anaphora and attributive modifiers. Second, this paper includes critical commentary about Ledo-Lemos' own hypothesis regarding the origin of this Indo-European grammatical category, grounded in the specialization of "relational adjectives." Objections to the latter involve his reliance on unmotivated analogical reanalysis and paradigmatic specialization.

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Published

29.12.2010

How to Cite

Shields, K. (2010). More on the origin of the Indo-European feminine gender : a reply to Ledo-Lemos. Linguistica, 50(1), 241–248. https://doi.org/10.4312/linguistica.50.1.241-248