Abstract This paper provides an overview of noun class systems in a sample of 20 Kwa languages. It focuses on the synchronic productivity of noun classification in Kwa as opposed to the full-fledged class system assumed for Proto-Kwa and for the general “Niger-Congo prototype” (Good, Jeff. 2012. How to become a “Kwa” noun.” Morphology 22(2). 293–335; Creissels, Denis. Forthcoming. Noun class systems in Atlantic languages. To appear. In Friederike Lüpke (ed.), The Oxford guide to the Atlantic languages of West Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press). The productivity of class morphology on nouns is studied by exploring class marker alternations as exponents of other grammatical phenomena: the formation of the plural, diminutive derivation and nominalization. We also discuss class indexation on nominal modifiers (adjectives, numerals, demonstratives and indefinite markers) as well as subject and object pronominals. We demonstrate that Kwa languages tend to follow the typological tendencies pertaining to class marking on nouns and class indexation, e.g. the Agreement hierarchy (Corbett, Greville G. 1979. The agreement hierarchy. Journal of Linguistics 15. 203–224), as established for world languages in general and Niger-Congo family in particular (Good, Jeff. 2012. How to become a “Kwa” noun.” Morphology 22(2). 293–335). However, some intriguing discrepancies, e.g. different patterning of indexation on adjectives vs. on numerals in Kwa as opposed to some other Niger-Congo branches, were also attested. In diachronic perspective, our findings suggest that noun class systems are flexible as they show high intragenetic variation and are easily degradable, but they almost never disappear completely.

中文翻译：

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夸（Kwa）名词类的微观类型调查

摘要本文概述了20种Kwa语言中的名词类系统。它侧重于夸瓦语中名词分类的共生生产力，而不是普鲁托夸瓦语和一般的“尼日尔-刚果原型”所假定的完整类系统（Good，Jeff。2012。如何成为“夸瓦”名词）形态22（2）。293-335；丹尼斯Creissels。即将发行。大西洋语言中的名词类系统。出现在FriederikeLüpke（ed。）中，牛津西非大西洋语言指南。牛津：牛津。大学出版社）。通过探索作为其他语法现象的指数的类标记交替来研究名词的类形态学生产力，这些语法现象包括：复数形式，小数衍生形式和名词化形式。我们还将讨论标称修饰符（形容词，数字，指示词和不定标记）以及主语和宾语的代词。我们证明，夸瓦语语言倾向于遵循与名词上的类别标记和类别索引相关的类型学倾向，例如协议层次（Corbett，Greville G.1979。协议层次。Journalof Linguistics 15. 203–224），该文献为通用语言，尤其是尼日尔-刚果语族（Good，Jeff。2012。如何成为“ Kwa”名词。” Morphology 22（2）。293-335）。但是，也证明了一些有趣的差异，例如与其他尼日尔-刚果分支机构不同的是，夸瓦语中形容词与数字的索引方式不同。从历时的角度来看，我们的发现表明名词类系统具有较高的内在变异性，并且易于降解，因此具有灵活性，