Towards the genesis of the class category in the Nakh-Daghestanian languages

Abstract

This paper focuses on the genesis of the class category in the Nakh-Daghestanian languages and uses descriptive and comparative methods. In addition to descriptive and historical-comparative methods, the method of internal reconstruction is also used. The universal class category, used to classify substantives according to social role, is the core of the grammar of the East-Caucasian languages, completely penetrating the morphological structure of the noun and the verb. Initially, the class systems found in the studied languages are discussed, to which a synoptic table of classifiers is attached. The second part deals with the old and very relevant problem of postulating class systems. The transformational processes and semantic changes in the functioning ofclassifiers are characterized. The system of grammatical classes of the Nakh-Daghestanian languages, starting from their Proto-Caucasian to the synchronous position, follows the main trend of change - the cardinal line of reduction of classes. The paper presents an attempt to reconstruct the archaic form of the grammatical category of class.