Restrictive and non-restrictive adjectives : a cross-language study

Abstract

This work is intended to be an exploratory study of a possible language universal. Limitations on time and resources did not allow a statistically valid sampling technique to be employed in collecting data for the study. Instead, a convenience sampling technique was used (Bell 1978: 123-56). The choice of languages ,n the study was influenced by my familiarity with them as well as by the availability of informants and recorded/published data. An attempt was made however, to select languages from as divergent genetic and geographic sources as the above mentioned restrictions allowed. The number of languages examined is skewed towards the I.E. family, also because of the limitations mentioned above. The examination of a larger sample of languages from the I.E. family proved to be useful as it illustrated the possible typology of formal expression of differences between adjectival categories and thus helped to identify these distinctions in less familiar languages. Show more