typesnominal

Typesnominal is a term used in linguistics to describe nominal expressions that denote kinds, types, or classes rather than specific, individuated objects. It is rooted in the broader type–token distinction in philosophy of language and linguistics, where a type refers to a general kind and a token to a concrete instance of that kind.

In practice, typesnominals contrast with tokensnominals. They contribute to generic reference and class-wide statements, conveying information about how things of a certain kind generally behave rather than about particular individuals. The distinction can influence how speakers interpret predicates, plurality, and scope in sentences.

Morphology and syntax surrounding typesnominals vary across languages. Some languages allow pure noun forms to express kind reference without extra marking, while others rely on pluralization, classifiers, or demonstratives to signal generic or kind-level meaning. Number marking is not always tied to a specific instance, and context often determines whether a nominal refers to a type or to tokens.

Examples commonly cited in discussions include English sentences like "Dogs are friendly" or "Birds can fly," where the plural bare noun or plural generalization conveys kind-level information. In other languages, similar generic references may be marked differently, reflecting the interplay between nominal form, classifiers, and aspect.

Scholarly usage of the term varies, and some researchers prefer alternatives such as generic nominals or kind-denoting nominals. The concept of typesnominal can help separate generic or kind-level semantics from token-specific reference in linguistic analysis.

See also: type–token distinction, generic reference, nominal semantics.