What is a classifier?

Definition
	A classifier is a word or affix that expresses the classification of a noun.

Examples (Spanish)
	In Spanish, the affixes -a and -o classify nouns according to feminine or masculine gender, respectively. Here are some examples of nouns they classify: mesa ‘table’ arco ‘arch’

Generic
	A classifier is a kind of
	What is a word?

See also
	What is a noun class?

Sources
	Crystal 1980 61
	Mish 1991 246

Context for this page:

Concept module: classifier
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): C
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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