What is an alienable noun?

Definition
	An alienable noun is a noun that
	refers to something viewed as not permanently or necessarily possessed, and is thus not obligatorily expressed as possessed in a language that also has inalienable nouns.

Concept module: alienable noun
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): A
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