Taas probleemidest sõnaliigi määramisel
Once again about the problems in word class determination

Summary/Abstract: Word classes have no absolutely distinct established limits. In practical usage it is possible for the words to transcend from one word class to another. There are especially many transitions in Estonian in case of substantive and adjective. Substantives can adjectivize and adjectives in their turn substantivize. At the same time the intermediate boundaries between the adjective and adverb, also the substantive and the adverb are not always uniquely determined. There are difficulties in the differentiation of onomatopoetic interjections and some adverbs. On the other hand the relations between the word and word form can sometimes be rather vague. Some word forms can be semantically separated from the paradigm of a nomen or a verb and formed into an independent adverb, pre- and postpositions and in some cases also to a conjunction or exclamation. The whole respective set of problems is presented on the basis of ample specific language material, obtained in the course of composing and editing the “Explanatory dictionary of written Estonian”. At the same time also probable differentiation criteria have been presented. Unfortunately final limits can not be drawn, after all. The author refers repeatedly to cases when for example the noun approaches the adverb, but in a dictionary it has still been left under the substantive entry for the new word class still lacks in sufficient ground. It happens in particular in case of word forms. At the same time the dissertation presents the cases where the required uniform system and the most purposeful solution have not yet been achieved in the presentation of analogous cases in “The expository dictionary of written Estonian”. Also this shows clearly the need for further research in solving the issues of Estonian word classes.

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