Lexical structures, lexical semantics

This chapter describes important advances in studies of Bantu lexical semantics and points to areas where further research is called for. The bulk of the chapter is dedicated to describing key issues related to major word classes. Bantu languages typically encode multiple noun classes, the membership of which is at least partly semantically motivated. Noun class agreement marking also has important semantic effects. Verbal event structures pose challenges to common cross-linguistic classifications. Modal auxiliaries exhibit cross-linguistically underexplored grammaticalization paths. Adjectives typically form a small, closed class, but their status as a word class, as well as the number of members, differs from language to language. Important, but relatively less studied, are adverbs and adverbials, locative and spatial terms, and ideophones. The chapter also briefly treats the semantic effects of derivational strategies, as well as studies in historical lexical semantics and their cross-disciplinary significance.