8 - HYBRID NOUNS AND THE AGREEMENT HIERARCHY

Summary

In this chapter we tackle a most interesting problem, namely that of hybrid nouns. As early as Chapter 3 we noted cases where the meaning and the form of nouns conflict in terms of gender assignment. Normally semantic criteria overrule formal considerations. In some instances, however, the conflict of criteria is not settled in this unambiguous way, and a hybrid noun results. The specific nature of hybrid nouns was identified in section 6.4.5.2. Like nouns of double (or multiple) gender, hybrid nouns take more than one set of agreements, that is, they take forms from more than one consistent agreement pattern. But unlike nouns of double gender, hybrid nouns do not simply belong to two genders. The crucial point about hybrid nouns is that the form of gender agreement used with them depends in part on the type of agreement target involved. Thus, while we can say of a normal noun simply that it takes, for example, feminine agreement, for a hybrid noun we can specify the agreement only provided we know the agreement target in question. Given this, the range of possible inventories of agreements taken by hybrids would appear to be extensive. However, we shall see that there are generalizations to be made about such agreement options; they are constrained by the Agreement Hierarchy (section 8.1). It turns out that pronouns have a special importance for hybrid nouns, which is examined in section 8.2.