ATLAS OF LANGUAGE

AT-NAV-G05-046 · ATLAS 259

Word class

A word class groups words by grammatical criteria.

Part of the subject path Morphology and Word Formation

Why is this entry in the Atlas?

G · Foundational concept R2 · Necessary foundation

Word class provides a foundation for grammatical categories beside semantic or thematic fields. Classification criteria must be language-specific rather than relying only on meaning.

Colours and admission grounds

The rectangular label identifies the entry function: F – linguistic figure or procedure; A – analytical concept; G – foundational concept; E – selected concrete case. The rounded badge indicates the admission ground: R1 – distinctive contribution; R2 – necessary foundation; R3 – justified illustrative case. This editorial rationale explains the current selection rather than claiming an undocumented original selection history.

Explanation

A word class groups words by grammatical criteria. Inflectional possibilities, syntactic distribution and combinability may be relevant; meaning alone usually does not determine membership. In conversion, an expression is used in another word class or analysed as a new lexeme without an overt derivational affix. Whether a class change actually occurs must be tested in the construction. Different grammars may also adopt different classifications. A label such as noun therefore cannot replace the criteria by which that label is assigned in a language.

Movement of thought

1. State the classification criteria. 2. Examine distribution. 3. Test inflection. 4. Compare changes of use. 5. Record theoretical alternatives.

Scientific use case

Comparative grammar can establish which tests distinguish particular word classes.

Example

English bottle can function as a noun; in “They bottle the juice”, bottle has verbal properties.

Counterexample

An expression naming an activity is not thereby a verb.

Distinction

Distinguish word class from semantic category, clause function and graphic form alone.

Effect on thought and perception

Word classes organise forms by grammatical behaviour.

Resonance

A word's role also appears in the neighbours it permits.

Provenance

Parallel corpus 98f0950771ae4662f291d2f15f5c51b6797f3c20ba458a68615cdb177002ea18; case-bounded source review accepted; human specialist review not claimed.

Cite this entry

Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Word class“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-NAV-G05-046. ATLAS 259, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-NAV-G05-046

https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-NAV-G05-046

The address remains stable; editorial content may evolve. Editorial reading state: 2026-10-15. Include your access date for precise references.